Masuyite Mineral Data

General Masuyite Information

Chemical Formula:

Pb[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,153.34 gm

Uranium 61.91 % U 70.24 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.70 % H 6.25 % H₂O

Lead 17.97 % Pb 19.35 % PbO

Oxygen 19.42 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.84 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb(UO₂)₃O₃(OH)₂•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Crystals lining cavities in uraninite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1947

Locality:

Shinkolobwe uranium mine, Shaba Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Gustave Masuy (1905-1945), Belgian geologist, shot by the German occupiers at the end of World War II.

Name Pronunciation:

Masuyite

Synonym:

ICSD 87743

PDF 51-1575

Masuyite Image

Images:

Masuyite

Comments: Bright reddish orange crystals of masuyite.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Masuyite

Comments: Dark reddish brown aggregate of masuyite with green metatorbernite on matrix.
Location: Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Shaba, (Katanga), Congo (Zaïre). Scale: Picture size 2 mm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Metavandendriesscheite Masuyite

Comments: Botryoidal crusts of orange metavandendriesscheite with red- to yellow-brown prismatic masyuite.
Location: Giftkiesstollen, Jachymov, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Scale: Not Given.
© Diederik Visser

Masuyite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.7467:1:0.9964

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.241, b = 7.008, c = 6.983, Z = 2; beta = 90.402° V = 599.02 Den(Calc)= 6.39

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Domatic H-M Symbol (m) Space Group: Pn

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.08(1), 3.52(0.7), 3.12(0.5),

Physical Properties of Masuyite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {010} Indistinct

Color:

Brown orange, Carmine red, Red, Red orange.

Density:

5.08

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Optical Properties of Masuyite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.453 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.155 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1354,KPDmeas= 0.1703,KC= 0.1172
Ncalc = 1.6 - 1.75

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.785, b=1.895, g=1.915, bire=0.1300, 2V(Calc)=44, 2V(Meas)=50.

Calculated Properties of Masuyite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Masuyite =6.39 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Photoelectric:

PE_Masuyite=2,027.37 barns/electron
U=PE_Masuyite x r_electron=10738.25 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,374,480.57 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Masuyite per GRapi unit = 228.60 (PPB)

Masuyite 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) 6.95 ± 1.74 grams of pure Masuyite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 695.32 ±173.83 grams of pure Masuyite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Masuyite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.69 cm	110,827,091	3.00E-03	4,374,480.57	1,438.19
100 gm / 3.10 cm	11,082,709	3.00E-04	437,448.06	143.82
10 gm / 1.44 cm	1,108,271	3.00E-05	43,744.81	14.38
1 gm / 6.69 mm	110,827	3.00E-06	4,374.48	1.44
0.1 gm / 3.10 mm	11,083	3.00E-07	437.45	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.44 mm	1,108	3.00E-08	43.74	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.67 mm	111	3.00E-09	4.37	0.00

Weight of pure Masuyite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.39 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

Masuyite Classification

Dana Class:

05.02.02.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(05.02)with a cation charge of 6+ (AO3) and hydrated

(05.02.02)Dana Group

05.02.02.01 Masuyite Pb[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]•3(H2O) Pn m

Strunz Class:

04.GB.35 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides

04.GB -With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra

04.GB.35 Masuyite Pb[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]•3(H2O) Pn m

Other Masuyite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, vol 85, p 1565) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Masuyite :
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

Search for Masuyite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Masuyite :

Ask about Masuyite 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 Espa�ol

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

Masuyite

Pb[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]•3(H2O)
Dana No: 05.02.02.01 Strunz No: 04.GB.35
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.