{{Short description|Mineral}} {{Infobox mineral | name = Rutherfordine | category = Carbonate mineral | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Schoepite-Rutherfordine-214963.jpg | imagesize = 260px | alt = A conglommeration of glassy, yellowish crystals | caption = | formula = UO<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> | IMAsymbol = Rfd<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mineralogical-magazine/article/imacnmnc-approved-mineral-symbols/62311F45ED37831D78603C6E6B25EE0A|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|url-access=subscription}}</ref> | molweight = | strunz = 5.EB.05 | dana = | system = Orthorhombic | class = Pyramidal (mm2) <br/>H–M Symbol: (mm2) | symmetry = ''Imm2'' | unit cell = a = 4.840 Å, b = 9.273 Å <br/>c = 4.298 Å; Z = 2 | color = | colour = Brownish, brownish yellow, white, light brown orange, or light yellow | habit = Crystals are Lathlike, elongated crystals commonly radiating, fibrous, matted; earthy to very fine-grained masses. | twinning = | cleavage = perfect on {010}, good on {001} | fracture = | tenacity = | mohs = | lustre = Silky, dull | streak = Yellow | diaphaneity = Transparent | gravity = 5.7 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxial (+) | refractive = n<sub>α</sub> = 1.700 - 1.723 n<sub>β</sub> = 1.716 - 1.730 n<sub>γ</sub> = 1.755 - 1.795 | birefringence = δ = 0.055 - 0.072 | pleochroism = Visible X= colorless, Y= pale yellow, Z= pale greenish yellow | 2V = Calculated: 53° | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence= | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | other = 25px Radioactive | alteration = | references = <ref name=HBM>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/rutherfordine.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]</ref><ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-3484.html Mindat with location data]</ref><ref name=Webmin>[http://www.webmineral.com/data/Rutherfordine.shtml Webmineral data]</ref> }} '''Rutherfordine''' is a mineral containing almost pure uranyl carbonate (UO<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>). It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system in translucent lathlike, elongated, commonly radiating in fibrous, and in pulverulent, earthy to very fine-grained dense masses. It has a specific gravity of 5.7 and exhibits two directions of cleavage. It appears as brownish, brownish yellow, white, light brown orange, or light yellow fluorescent encrustations. It is also known as ''diderichite.''
It was first described in 1906 for an occurrence in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. It was named for Ernest Rutherford. It has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Northern Territory of Australia and a variety of locations worldwide.<ref name=Mindat/>
It occurs as a secondary mineral as a weathering product of uraninite. In addition to uraninite it occurs associated with the rare minerals becquerelite, masuyite, schoepite, kasolite, curite, boltwoodite, vandendriesscheite, billietite, metatorbernite, fourmarierite, studtite and sklodowskite.<ref name=HBM/> It forms under acidic to neutral pH and is the only known mineral that contains only uranyl and carbonate.
==References== {{Reflist}} * Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1951) Dana's system of mineralogy, 7th ed., v. II, pp. 274–275.
Category:Carbonate minerals Category:Uranium(VI) minerals Category:Orthorhombic minerals Category:Minerals in space group 44 Category:Radioactive minerals