Phurcalite Mineral Data

General Phurcalite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,238.29 gm

Calcium 6.47 % Ca 9.06 % CaO

Uranium 57.67 % U 65.42 % UO₂

Phosphorus 5.00 % P 11.46 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.14 % H 10.18 % H₂O

Oxygen 29.72 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.12 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₂(UO₂)₃O₂(PO₄)₂•7(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in cracks and fractures in granite and granite pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1978

Locality:

Bergen, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for PHosphorus, URanium, and CALcium in the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Phurcalite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 1687

PDF 30-285

Phurcalite Image

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Yellow phurcalite crystals on white aragonite.
Location: Posey Mine, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: Picture site 0.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Coatings of minute acicular phurcalite crystals on sandstone.
Location: Posey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Bright canary yellow acicular phurcalite crystals to about 0.25mm. Seems to have overgrown perhaps torbernite and individual groups are to 1mm.
Location: El Azul mine, Los Azules district, Copiapo Province, Atacama, Chile. Scale: Picture Size 5 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Phurcalite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.086:1:0.848

Cell Dimensions:

a = 17.415, b = 16.035, c = 13.598, Z = 8; V = 3,797.24 Den(Calc)= 4.33

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.05(1), 3.09(0.8), 3.1(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Atencio D , Neumann R , Silva A J G C , Mascarenhas Y P , The Canadian Mineralogist , 29 (1991) p.95-105, Phurcalite from Perus, San Paulo, Brazil, and redetermination of its, crystal structure, Locality: Perus, San Paulo, Brazil

Physical Properties of Phurcalite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {010} Perfect, {100} Good

Color:

Yellow.

Density:

4.22

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Adamantine

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Phurcalite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.223 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.192 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.167,KPDmeas= 0.1713,KC= 0.14
Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.69, b=1.73, g=1.749, bire=0.0590, 2V(Calc)=66, 2V(Meas)=68.

Calculated Properties of Phurcalite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.80 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Phurcalite =4.33 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0043837837
Boson Index = 0.9956162163

Photoelectric:

PE_Phurcalite=1,490.25 barns/electron
U=PE_Phurcalite x r_electron=5,669.61 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,318,874.05 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Phurcalite per GRapi unit = 231.54 (PPB)

Phurcalite 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) 7.04 ± 1.76 grams of pure Phurcalite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 704.27 ±176.07 grams of pure Phurcalite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Phurcalite** - 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 / 7.61 cm	103,224,421	2.79E-03	4,318,874.05	1,419.90
100 gm / 3.53 cm	10,322,442	2.79E-04	431,887.41	141.99
10 gm / 1.64 cm	1,032,244	2.79E-05	43,188.74	14.20
1 gm / 7.61 mm	103,224	2.79E-06	4,318.87	1.42
0.1 gm / 3.53 mm	10,322	2.79E-07	431.89	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.64 mm	1,032	2.79E-08	43.19	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.76 mm	103	2.79E-09	4.32	0.00

Weight of pure Phurcalite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.33 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

Phurcalite Classification

Dana Class:

42.04.07.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.04)where (AB)5 (XO4)2 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.04.07)Dana Group

42.04.07.01 Phurcalite Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.EC.35 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.EC -UO2:RO4 = 3:2

08.EC.35 Phurcalite Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Phurcalite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Phurcalite :
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

Search for Phurcalite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Phurcalite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Phurcalite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Phurcalite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Phurcalite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Phurcalite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Phurcalite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Phurcalite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Phurcalite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Phurcalite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Phurcalite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Phurcalite

Ask about Phurcalite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Phurcalite

Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)
Dana No: 42.04.07.01 Strunz No: 08.EC.35
Locality:

Notes: