Uranopilite

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

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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