Uranopilite

Uranopilite is a minor ore of uranium with the chemistry (UO₂)₆SO₄(OH)₆O₂ˑ12H₂O or, Hydrated Uranyl Sulfate Hydroxide.

Additional recommended knowledge

What is the Correct Way to Check Repeatability in Balances?

Daily Visual Balance Check

Daily Sensitivity Test

As with many uranyl minerals, it is fluorescent and radioactive. It is straw yellow in normal light. Uranopilite fluoresces a bright green under ultraviolet 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 and johannite and, like them, is usually found as an efflorescent crust in uranium mines.

Notable occurrences include:

• Wheal Owles, Cornwall, England
• San Juan County, Utah, USA
• Northwest Territories, Canada
• Bohemian region of Europe

See also

• Uranyl sulfate
• List of minerals

References

• Progress in Solid State Chemistry
• ATHENA MINERAL: Mineral Data