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Mineralogical ClassificationIMA 2010-076 = heisenbergite

26th Apr 2012 11:32 UTCMarco E. Ciriotti Manager

Reference:

▪ Walenta, K. & Theye, T. (2012): Heisenbergite, a new uranium mineral from the uranium deposit of Menzenschwand in the Southern Black Forest, Germany. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Abhandlungen, 189, 117-123.

Abstract:

Heisenbergite is the seventh new uranium mineral first described from the uranium deposit of Menzenschwand in the Southern Black Forest, Baden Württemberg, Germany. It occurs there as a rare secondary mineral associated with quartz, baryte, uraninite, billietite, studtite, rutherfordine, joliotite, goethite and hematite. Its occurrence is not restricted to Menzenschwand, but it was also found at El Sherana, South-Alligator-River-District in the Northern Territory of Australia from where it was described as an unnamed uranium oxide by Threadgold (1960). A further occurrence is Joachimsthal in the Czech Republic reported by Ondruš et al. (1997). The mineral and its name were approved by the CNMNC in January 2011 (IMA No. 2010-076).

At Menzenschwand it forms, besides anhedral particles, long prismatic crystals up to about 15 μm in length but only a few μm in thickness. The colour varies somewhat: yellow, yellow brown or orange brown. The streak is yellow, the lustre vitreous. Further properties are: opaque to translucent, particles in liquids transparent, not fluorescent, cleavage and parting not observed, fracture irregular. Hardness (Mohs) about 2, density (calc.) 5.14 g/cm3. Refractive indices: nα 1.733(3), nγ 1.800(5), nβ close to nγ, optical character (-). Extinction straight with l (= Z) positive. As no single crystal studies were possible due to the small size of the crystals, the dimensions of an orthorhombic unit cell were derived from the indexed powder data: a 13.10(1) Å, b 13.76(1), c 14.50(1), V 2613,7(2) Å3, Z = 24. Posssible space groups: P212121, Pna21, Pnma. Strongest lines of the powder pattern: 7.92 Å (10) 111; 7.25 (9) 002; 3.57(7) 321; 3.27 (9) 322, 400. Chemical composition determined by electron microprobe (wt.%): UO3 88.58, PbO 1.31, BaO 0.17, CaO 0.13, H2O (by difference) 9.81, total 100.00 %, being similar to the composition of schoepite UO3 · 2.25H2O, metaschoepite UO3 · 2H2O, and paulscherrerite UO2(OH)2. The empirical formula based on 5 oxygen atoms is U1.044Pb0.020Ba0.004Ca0.008H3.672O5, simplified UO2(OH)2 · H2O, or UO3 · 2H2 O. The mineral is easily soluble in HCl 1:1 and HNO3 1:1. On the basis of Raman spectral data it is suggested that two distinct type of coordination polyhedra for uranium are present in the heisenbergite structure.

26th Apr 2012 15:40 UTCRobert Simonoff

Certainly named after Werner Heisenberg, right?

Bob

26th Apr 2012 16:55 UTCMarco E. Ciriotti Manager

Yes. Werner Karl Heisenberg: the Nobel Prize in Physics 1932 who made important contributions to quantum mechanics.

26th Apr 2012 17:13 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder

Ah yes, the man who tried to build the Nazi atomic bomb.

After the war he claimed he tried to sabotage these efforts by deliberately over-estimating the amount of fissile material needed for a chain reaction, however it may be that he simply miscalculated.

Jolyon

26th Apr 2012 18:09 UTCRonald John Gyllenhammer Expert

> "...however it may be that he simply miscalculated."

On this point, there will forever remain some "uncertainty". :-)

9th Jun 2012 15:51 UTCKnut Edvard Larsen 🌟 Manager

Heisenbergite & data entered in database.

9th Jun 2012 15:54 UTCKnut Edvard Larsen 🌟 Manager

A question about the TL:

Is "the uranium deposit of Menzenschwand" identical with Krunkelbach Valley Uranium deposit http://www.mindat.org/loc-1777.html ?

9th Jun 2012 17:19 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Yes.

9th Jun 2012 17:31 UTCPeter Haas

"Werner Karl Heisenberg: the Nobel Prize in Physics 1932 who made important contributions to quantum mechanics."

(1) His surname is spelled "Carl"

(2) He made far more than just important contributions. Contributing to something implies that this "something" already exists, but it didn't at that time. The work of Heisenberg formed the basis of modern quantum mechanics.

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