Oppenheimerite

Oppenheimerite is a very rare uranium mineral with the formula Na2(UO2)(SO4)2•3H2O.[1][2] Chemically related minerals include fermiite, natrozippeite, plášilite, belakovskiite and meisserite.[3][4][5][6][7] Most of these uranyl sulfate minerals were originally found in the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, US.[8] The mineral is named after American Theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.[2]

Oppenheimerite
General
CategorySulfate mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)		Na2(UO2)(SO4)2•3H2O
Crystal systemTriclinic
Crystal classPinacoidal (1)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupP1
Unit cella = 7.96, b = 8.20,
c = 9.81 [Å]; α = 65.97°
β = 70.28°, γ = 91.46° (approximated), Z = 2
Identification
ColorPale greenish-yellow
Crystal habitprismatic
Cleavage{110}, {011} and {101}, good
FractureIrregular
Mohs scale hardness2.5
LusterVitreous
StreakWhite
DiaphaneityTransparent
Density3.36 (calculated) (approximated)
Optical propertiesBiaxal (+)
Refractive indexnα=1.54, nβ=1.63, nγ=1.59 (approximated)
PleochroismVery pale greenish-yellow (X), pale greenish-yellow (Y), greenish-yellow (Z)
2V angle72o (measured)
Ultraviolet fluorescenceGreenish-white
Other characteristics Radioactive
References[1][2]

Association and origin

Oppenheimerite is associated with other sulfate minerals: fermiite, bluelizardite, wetherillite, blödite, chalcanthite, epsomite, gypsum, hexahydrite, kröhnkite, manganoblödite, sideronatrite, and tamarugite.[1]

Crystal structure

The crystal structure of oppenheimerite is of a new type. It contains chains of the (UO2)(SO4)2(H2O) composition, connected with two types of sodium polyhedra.[1]

References
  1. Kampf, A.R., Plášil, J., Kasatkin, A.V., Marty, J., and Čejka, J., 2015. Fermiite, Na4(UO2)(SO4)3·3H2O and oppenheimerite, Na2(UO2)(SO4)2·3H2O, two new uranyl sulfate minerals from the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Mineralogical Magazine 79(5), 1123-1142
  2. "Oppenheimerite: Oppenheimerite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  3. "Fermiite: Fermiite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  4. "Natrozippeite: Natrozippeite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  5. "Plášilite: Plášilite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  6. "Belakovskiite: Belakovskiite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  7. "Meisserite: Meisserite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  8. "Blue Lizard Mine, Chocolate Drop, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan Co., Utah, USA - Mindat.org". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
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