Rubber
As Gummit refers to a mostly yellow, even greenish or orange, gummy mixture of various amorphous uranium compounds by alteration of uranium-bearing minerals such. B. Boltwoodite , Clarkeit , Curite , Kasolit , Soddyite and Uranophane arise. The name is derived from the rubbery consistency. Gummit has a density of approx. 3.9–6.4 g / cm 3 and its Mohs hardness is in the range from 2.5 to 5. Older names of the material are Eliasite from Elias - the name of the uranium mine near Jáchymov , Coracit - a Variety of Lake Superior , Pittinite, Pechuran, uranium gum or uranium gum. The most famous sites include the Ruggles Mine near Grafton , USA, the Shinkolobwe Mine , Luiswishi Mine , Musonoi Mine ( Katanga Province ), Kamoto , Swambo Hill and Kasompi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
Precautions
Due to the toxicity and the strong radioactivity of the mineral, mineral samples from Gummit should only be kept in dust- and radiation-proof containers, but especially never in living rooms, bedrooms or work rooms. Absorption into the body (incorporation, ingestion ) should also be prevented in any case and, for safety, direct body contact should be avoided and face masks and gloves should be worn when handling the mineral .
literature
- Clifford Frondel: The Mineral Composition of Gummite , 1955. ( PDF, English, 2.2 MB )
- Mineral Atlas: Gummit
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mineral Atlas: Uranogummite
- ↑ Gummite at mindat.org (English)