Mineralogy Database

Phurcalite Mineral Data

Search Webmineral :
  

General Phurcalite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)
Help on Composition: 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
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Secondary mineral in cracks and fractures in granite and granite pegmatites.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Approved IMA 1978
Help on Locality: Locality: Bergen, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for PHosphorus, URanium, and CALcium in the composition.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Phurcalite + Pronunciation Say PHURCALITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 1687
  PDF 30-285
 

Phurcalite Image

Click Here for Larger   Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger   Image

  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

Click Here for Larger   Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger   Image

  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

Click Here for Larger   Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger   Image

  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

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =1.086:1:0.848
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 17.415, b = 16.035, c = 13.598, Z = 8; V = 3,797.24 Den(Calc)= 4.33
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 8.05(1), 3.09(0.8), 3.1(0.8),
 

Physical Properties of Phurcalite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {001} Perfect, {010} Perfect, {100} Good
Help on Color: Color: Yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 4.22
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3 - Calcite
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Adamantine
Help on Streak: Streak: yellow white
 

Optical Properties of Phurcalite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: 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
Help on Optical Data: 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

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.80 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Phurcalite =4.33 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0043837837
Boson Index = 0.9956162163
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEPhurcalite =1,490.25 barns/electron
U=PEPhurcalite x relectron=5,669.61 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: 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

Help on  Dana Class: 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
Help on  Strunz Class: 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

Help on References: References: NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: 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:

Google
 
Web webmineral.com
[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers 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 Espa�ol

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:

 

 
   
 


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