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 % P2 O5
Hydrogen 1.14 % H 10.18 % H2 O
Oxygen 29.72 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 96.12 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Ca2 (UO2 )3 O2 (PO4 )2 •7(H2 O)
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:
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 - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 8.05(1), 3.09(0.8), 3.1(0.8),
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:
PEPhurcalite =1,490.25 barns/electronU=PEPhurcalite 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 Bequerols (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
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Phurcalite
Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)
Dana No: 42.04.07.01 Strunz No: 08.EC.35
Locality:
Notes:
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