Abernathyit
| Abernathyit | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General and classification | |
| chemical formula | K 2 [UO 2 | AsO 4 ] • 6H 2 O |
|
Mineral class (and possibly department) |
Phosphates, arsenates and vanadates |
|
System no. to Strunz and to Dana |
8.EB.15 ( 8th edition : VII / D.20b) 40.02a.09.01 |
| Crystallographic Data | |
| Crystal system | tetragonal |
| Crystal class ; symbol | ditetragonal-dipyramidal; 4 / m 2 / m 2 / m |
| Space group | P 4 / ncc (No. 130) |
| Lattice parameters | a = 7.18 Å ; c = 18.13 Å |
| Formula units | Z = 2 |
| Physical Properties | |
| Mohs hardness | 2 to 3 |
| Density (g / cm 3 ) | measured:> 3.32; calculated: 3.572 |
| Cleavage | completely after {001} |
| Break ; Tenacity | brittle |
| colour | yellow |
| Line color | light yellow |
| transparency | transparent |
| shine | weak glass luster |
| radioactivity | very radioactive |
| Crystal optics | |
| Refractive indices |
n ω = 1.597 to 1.608 n ε = 1.570 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.027 to 0.038 |
| Optical character | uniaxial negative |
| Axis angle | 2V = measured: 5 ° |
| Pleochroism | visible: ω = yellow; ε = light yellow to colorless |
| Other properties | |
| Special features | yellow-green fluorescence |
Abernathyite is a rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of " phosphates , arsenates and vanadates " with the chemical composition K 2 [UO 2 | AsO 4 ] · 6H 2 O and thus chemically a water-containing potassium - uranyl arsenate.
Abernathyite crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system and develops mostly transparent, thick tabular crystals up to about three millimeters in size with a yellow color and light yellow streak color .
Etymology and history
Abernathyite was first discovered in 1953 in the “Fuemrol No. 2 Mine “(Fuemrole Mine) on Temple Mountain near San Rafael in Emery County in the US state of Utah. The mineral was described in 1956 by ME Thompson, Blanche Ingram and EB Gross, who named it after the mine owner Jess Abernathy , who also found the first pieces of the new mineral.
The type material of the mineral is in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC (USA) under the catalog no. 112650 kept.
classification
In the now obsolete 8th edition of the mineral classification according to Strunz , the abernathyite belonged to the mineral class of "phosphates, arsenates and vanadates" and there to the department "water-containing phosphates, arsenates and vanadates with foreign anions ", where together with Meta-Ankoleit , Meta- autunite , Metabassetit (discredited because identical to Bassetit) Metaheinrichit , Metakahlerit , Metakirchheimerit , Metanatroautunit , Metanatrouranospinit , Metanováčekit , Metatorbernit , Metauranocircit , Metauranospinit , Metazeunerit , Sincosit and Trögerit the "meta-Uranit-series" with the system number. VII / D.20b .
In the last revised and updated Lapis mineral directory by Stefan Weiß in 2018 , which, out of consideration for private collectors and institutional collections, is still based on this classic system of Karl Hugo Strunz , the mineral was given the system and mineral number. VII / E.02-150 . In the "Lapis system" this corresponds to the section "Uranyl phosphates / arsenates and uranyl vanadates with [UO 2 ] 2+ - [PO 4 ] / [AsO 4 ] 3- and [UO 2 ] 2+ - [V 2 O 8 ] 6- , with isotypic vanadates (sincosit-R.) ", Where abernathyite together with bassetite , chernikovite , lehnerite , meta-ankoleit, meta-autunit, metaheinrichite , metakahlerite , metakirchheimerite , metanatroautunite , metasalite , metalodèvitekite Metarauchit , Metatorbernit, Metauranospinit, Metauranocircit, Metazeunerit, Natrouranospinit , pseudo-autunite , Ulrichit , Uramarsit and Uramphit the "meta-autunite group" forms.
The 9th edition of Strunz's mineral systematics , valid since 2001 and updated by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) until 2009, also assigns Abernathyite to the class of "phosphates, arsenates and vanadates" and there in the department of "uranyl phosphates and arsenates" a. However, this section is further subdivided according to the ratio of uranium oxide complex (UO 2 ) to phosphate, arsenate or vanadate complex (RO 4 ), so that the mineral according to its composition is in the sub-section "UO 2 : RO 4 = 1: 1" can be found where it forms the unnamed group 8.EB.15 together with chernikovite, meta-ankoleit, natrouranospinite, trögerite and uramphite .
The systematics of minerals according to Dana , which is mainly used in the English-speaking world , assigns the abernathyite to the class of "phosphates, arsenates and vanadates" and there in the department of "water-containing phosphates etc.". Here he is the only member of the unnamed group 40.02a.09 within the subdivision " Water-containing phosphates etc., with A 2+ (B 2+ ) 2 (XO 4 ) × x (H 2 O), with (UO 2 ) 2+ ”can be found.
Crystal structure
Abernathyite crystallizes tetragonally in the space group P 4 / ncc (space group no. 130) with the lattice parameters a = 7.18 Å and c = 18.13 Å as well as two formula units per unit cell .
properties
Due to its uranium content of up to 45.8%, the mineral is classified as very radioactive and has a specific activity of around 81.9 k Bq / g (for comparison: natural potassium 31.2 Bq / g).
Under UV light , Abernathyite shows a yellowish-green fluorescence , similar to that of neon-colored highlighters .
Education and Locations
Abernathyite forms as a rare secondary mineral in bleached, bituminous sandstone . Accompanying minerals include scorodite , heinrichite and zeunerite .
So far (as of 2011) the mineral could only be detected at a few sites (number of sites registered at mindat.org around 20). In addition to its type locality "Fuemrol No. 2 Mine "in Utah, Abernathyit has so far still occurred near Tuba City in Arizona, in the" West Mine "in Saguache County and Elk Park in San Juan County in Colorado, in the" Deer Strike and Elk Mine "in Custer County in Idaho, in the "White King Mine" at Lakeview in Lake County in Oregon and at several locations in Harding County in South Dakota.
In Germany, Abernathyit was found in the “Grube Sophia” near Wittichen and the “Grube Segen Gottes” near Haslach- Schnellingen in the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, near Dörrmorsbach and on the Hartkoppe in Spessart in Bavaria and in the “Grube Father Abraham “At Lauta in the Bauer Morgengang in the Saxon Ore Mountains.
The locations Riviéral near Lodève in the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon, Kopaniec in the Lower Silesian community of Stara Kamienica in Poland and Beaufort West in South Africa are also known.
Precautions
Due to the toxicity and radioactivity of the mineral, mineral samples from Abernathyite should only be kept in dust- and radiation-proof containers, but especially never in living rooms, bedrooms or workrooms. Absorption into the body (incorporation, ingestion ) should also be prevented in any case and, for safety, direct body contact should be avoided and respiratory protection mask and gloves should be worn when handling the mineral .
See also
literature
- ME Thompson, Blanche Ingram and EB Gross: Abernathyite, a new Uranium mineral of the Metatorbernite group . In: American Mineralogist . tape 41 , no. 1-2 , 1956, pp. 82–90 (English, minsocam.org [PDF; 505 kB ; accessed on September 27, 2019]).
Web links
- Mineral Atlas: Abernathyite (Wiki)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Hugo Strunz , Ernest H. Nickel : Strunz Mineralogical Tables. Chemical-structural Mineral Classification System . 9th edition. E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (Nägele and Obermiller), Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-510-65188-X , p. 526 .
- ^ A b David Barthelmy: Abernathyite Mineral Data. In: webmineral.com. Retrieved September 27, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Abernathyite . In: John W. Anthony, Richard A. Bideaux, Kenneth W. Bladh, Monte C. Nichols (Eds.): Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America . 2001 (English, handbookofmineralogy.org [PDF; 67 kB ; accessed on September 27, 2019]).
- ↑ a b c d e f Abernathyite. In: mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, accessed September 27, 2019 .
- ↑ Stefan Weiß: The large Lapis mineral directory. All minerals from A - Z and their properties. Status 03/2018 . 7th, completely revised and supplemented edition. Weise, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-921656-83-9 .
- ↑ Ernest H. Nickel, Monte C. Nichols: IMA / CNMNC List of Minerals 2009. (PDF 1703 kB) In: cnmnc.main.jp. IMA / CNMNC, January 2009, accessed September 27, 2019 .
- ↑ Localities for Abernathyite. In: mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, accessed September 27, 2019 .