Liebigite Mineral Data

General Liebigite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca2(UO2)(CO3)3•11(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 728.38 gm

Calcium 11.00 % Ca 15.40 % CaO

Uranium 32.68 % U 37.07 % UO₂

Hydrogen 3.04 % H 27.21 % H₂O

Carbon 4.95 % C 18.13 % CO₂

Oxygen 48.32 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.80 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃•11(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in the oxidized portion of deposits associated with other U-bearing carbonates and sulfates.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1848

Locality:

Edirne, near Adrianople, Turky. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Justus van Liebig (1803-1873), German chemist.

Name Pronunciation:

Liebigite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 31270

PDF 11-296

Liebigite Image

Images:

Liebigite

Comments: Yellow liebigite crystals on Quartz.
Location: Le Bosc, Lodeve, Herault, France. Scale: 1.5 x 1 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Liebigite Voglite

Comments: Green voglite with yellow liebigite.
Location: JÃ¡chymov (St Joachimsthal), KrusnÃ© Hory (Erzgebirge), ZÃ¡padoceskÃ½ Kraj, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Scale: Picture size 3.2 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Liebigite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9537:1:0.7846

Cell Dimensions:

a = 16.703, b = 17.513, c = 13.741, Z = 8; V = 4,019.51 Den(Calc)= 2.41

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: Bba2

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 6.81(1), 5.4(0.9), 8.68(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

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Mereiter K , Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen , 30 (1982) p.277-288, The crystal structure of liebigite, Ca2UO2(CO3)3*~11H2O, Locality: Joachimsthal, Bohmen

Physical Properties of Liebigite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Green, Yellow green.

Density:

2.41

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=green, Long UV=green.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Liebigite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.063 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.063 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2127,KPDmeas= 0.2127,KC= 0.2002
Ncalc = 1.48

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.497, b=1.502, g=1.539, bire=0.0420, 2V(Calc)=42, 2V(Meas)=40. Dispersion r > v moderate.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

green pale yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

green pale yellow.

Calculated Properties of Liebigite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Liebigite =2.41 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0032821653
Boson Index = 0.9967178347

Photoelectric:

PE_Liebigite= 777.48 barns/electron
U=PE_Liebigite x r_electron=1,790.44 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,661,689.43 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Liebigite per GRapi unit = 375.70 (PPB)

Liebigite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 11.43 ± 2.86 grams of pure Liebigite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1142.8 ±285.69 grams of pure Liebigite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Liebigite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 9.25 cm	58,495,853	1.58E-03	2,661,689.43	875.08
100 gm / 4.30 cm	5,849,585	1.58E-04	266,168.94	87.51
10 gm / 1.99 cm	584,959	1.58E-05	26,616.89	8.75
1 gm / 9.25 mm	58,496	1.58E-06	2,661.69	0.88
0.1 gm / 4.30 mm	5,850	1.58E-07	266.17	0.09
0.01 gm / 1.99 mm	585	1.58E-08	26.62	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.93 mm	58	1.58E-09	2.66	0.00

Weight of pure Liebigite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 2.41 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Liebigite Classification

Dana Class:

15.03.02.01 (15)Hydrated Carbonates

(15.03)where A+m B++n (XO3)p · x(H2O), (m+n):p = 1:1 and containing U, Th, Zr, Y

(15.03.02)Dana Group

15.03.02.01 Liebigite Ca2(UO2)(CO3)3•11(H2O) Bba2 mm2

Strunz Class:

05.ED.20 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.E - Uranyl Carbonates

05.ED -UO2:CO3 = 1:3

05.ED.20 Liebigite Ca2(UO2)(CO3)3•11(H2O) Bba2 mm2

Other Liebigite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Liebigite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Liebigite Specimen Label here :

Liebigite

Ca2(UO2)(CO3)3•11(H2O)
Dana No: 15.03.02.01 Strunz No: 05.ED.20
Locality:

Notes: