torbernite
Sign in to saveAlso known as chalcolite
Torbernite, also known as chalcolite, is a relatively common mineral with the chemical formula Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2·12H2O. It is a radioactive, hydrated green copper uranyl phosphate, found in granites and other uranium-bearing deposits as a secondary mineral. The chemical formula of torbernite is similar to that of autunite in which a Cu2+ cation replaces a Ca2+ cation. Torbernite tends to dehydrate to metatorbernite with the sum formula Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2·8H2O.
Key facts
- Mineral.caption
- Torbernite crystals from Mashamba West Mine, Kolwezi, Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Mineral.formula
- Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2(H2O)12
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Tor
- Mineral.molweight
- 641 – 713 g/mol, depending the degree of water loss
- Mineral.strunz
- 8.EB.05
- Mineral.system
- Tetragonal
- Mineral.class
- Ditetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm) H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)
- Mineral.symmetry
- I4/mmm
- Mineral.color
- Emerald green to apple green
- Mineral.habit
- Tabular crystals; Foliated to earthy masses and encrustations
- Mineral.twinning
- Rare on [110]
- Mineral.cleavage
- [001] Perfect; [100] Distinct
- Mineral.fracture
- Brittle
- Mineral.mohs
- 2–2.5
- Mineral.luster
- Vitreous; pearly
- Mineral.refractive
- nω = 1.590 – 1.592 nε = 1.581 – 1.582
- Mineral.opticalprop
- Uniaxial (−)
- Mineral.birefringence
- δ = 0.009 – 0.010
via Wikipedia infobox
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Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Etymology and history
- Classification
- Crystal structure
- Metatorbernite
- Properties
- Morphology
- Physical and chemical properties
- Occurrence and localities
- Precautions
- See also
- References
- External links
Torbernite, also known as chalcolite, is a relatively common mineral with the chemical formula Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2·12H2O. It is a radioactive, hydrated green copper uranyl phosphate, found in granites and other uranium-bearing deposits as a secondary mineral. The chemical formula of torbernite is similar to that of autunite in which a Cu2+ cation replaces a Ca2+ cation. Torbernite tends to dehydrate to metatorbernite with the sum formula Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2·8H2O.
== Etymology and history == thumb|left|Torbern Olof Bergman Torbernite was found for the first time at Georg Wagsfort Mine near Johanngeorgenstadt in the Ore Mountains in Saxony. It was first mentioned in 1772 by Ignaz von Born in his work Lythophylacium Bornianum, calling it "mica viridis crystallina, ibid." (green crystalline mica from Johanngeorgenstadt, Sax.; ibid. = "as the item above"). In 1780 Abraham Gottlob Werner uses Born's work and describes the mineral in more detail, calling it at first "grüner Glimmer" (green mica), later naming it "torbernite" in honour of the Swedish mineralogist and chemist Torbern Olof Bergman (1735–1784).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “torbernite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.