- Uranopilite
Uranopilite is a minor
ore ofuranium with the chemistry (UO2)6SO4(OH)6O2ˑ12H2O or, Hydrated Uranyl Sulfate Hydroxide.As with many uranyl minerals, it is
fluorescent andradioactive . It is straw yellow in normal light. Uranopilite fluoresces a bright green underultraviolet light . Uranopilite contains clusters of six uranyl pentagonal bipyramids that share equatorial edges and vertices, with the clusters cross-linked to form chains by sharing vertices with sulfate tetrahedra. In uranopilite, the chains are linked directly by hydrogen bonds, as well as to interstitial H2O groups.Uranopilite is associated with other uranyl minerals such as
zippeite andjohannite and, like them, is usually found as anefflorescent crust in uranium mines.Notable occurrences include:
*
Wheal Owles ,Cornwall ,England
* San Juan County,Utah ,USA
*Northwest Territories ,Canada
*Bohemian region ofEurope See also
*
Uranyl sulfate
*List of minerals References
* [http://burgaz.mit.edu/PUBLICATIONS/PDF/pssc-30-1-2002.pdf Progress in Solid State Chemistry]
* [http://un2sg4.unige.ch/athena/cgi-bin/minfich?s=METAURANOPILITE ATHENA MINERAL: Mineral Data]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.