Oppenheimerite

{{Short description|Very rare uranium mineral}} {{infobox mineral | name = Oppenheimerite | category = Sulfate mineral | image = | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | formula = Na₂(UO₂)(SO₄)₂•3H₂O | IMAsymbol = Ohm<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3 |pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W |s2cid=235729616 |doi-access=free}}</ref> | strunz = | dana = | system = Triclinic | class = Pinacoidal ({{overline|1}}) <br/><small>(same H-M symbol)</small> | symmetry = ''P''{{overline|1}} | unit cell = a = 7.96, b = 8.20, <br/>c = 9.81 [Å]; α = 65.97° <br/>β = 70.28°, γ = 91.46° (approximated), Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;2 | color = Pale greenish-yellow | colour = | habit = prismatic | twinning = | cleavage = {1{{overline|1|}}0}, {011} and {101}, good | fracture = Irregular | tenacity = | mohs = 2.5 | luster = Vitreous | streak = White | diaphaneity = Transparent | gravity = | density = 3.36 (calculated) (approximated) | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxal (+) | refractive = nα=1.54, nβ=1.63, nγ=1.59 (approximated) | birefringence = | pleochroism = Very pale greenish-yellow (X), pale greenish-yellow (Y), greenish-yellow (Z) | 2V = 72^o (measured) | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = Greenish-white | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = | alteration = | other = 25px Radioactive | references = <ref name=Kampf>Kampf, A.R., Plášil, J., Kasatkin, A.V., Marty, J., and Čejka, J., 2015. Fermiite, Na4(UO2)(SO4)3·3H2O and oppenheimerite, Na2(UO2)(SO4)2·3H2O, two new uranyl sulfate minerals from the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Mineralogical Magazine 79(5), 1123-1142</ref><ref name=Mindat></ref> }} '''Oppenheimerite''' is a very rare uranium mineral with the formula Na₂(UO₂)(SO₄)₂•3H₂O.<ref name=Kampf></ref><ref name=Mindat>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46514.html |title=Oppenheimerite: Oppenheimerite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref> Chemically related minerals include fermiite, natrozippeite, plášilite, belakovskiite and meisserite.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46506.html |title=Fermiite: Fermiite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-3694.html |title=Natrozippeite: Natrozippeite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46145.html |title=Plášilite: Plášilite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-45960.html |title=Belakovskiite: Belakovskiite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-43905.html |title=Meisserite: Meisserite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref> Most of these uranyl sulfate minerals were originally found in the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-38665.html |title=Blue Lizard Mine, Chocolate Drop, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan Co., Utah, USA - Mindat.org |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref> The mineral is named after American Theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.<ref name=Mindat></ref>

==Association and origin== Oppenheimerite is associated with other sulfate minerals: fermiite, bluelizardite, wetherillite, blödite, chalcanthite, epsomite, gypsum, hexahydrite, kröhnkite, manganoblödite, sideronatrite, and tamarugite.<ref name=Kampf></ref>

==Crystal structure== The crystal structure of oppenheimerite is of a new type. It contains chains of the (UO₂)(SO₄)₂(H₂O) composition, connected with two types of sodium polyhedra.<ref name=Kampf></ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Uranium(VI) minerals Category:Sulfate minerals Category:Sodium minerals Category:Triclinic minerals Category:Minerals in space group 2 {{sulfate-mineral-stub}}