{{Short description|Mineral}} {{Infobox mineral | name = Schoepite | category = Uranium minerals | boxwidth = | image = Schoepite-Rutherfordine-214963.jpg | imagesize = 260 | alt = | caption = | formula = (UO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>8</sub>O<sub>2</sub>(OH)<sub>12</sub> • 12(H<sub>2</sub>O) | IMAsymbol = Sho<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> | molweight = | strunz = 4.GA.05 | dana = | system = Orthorhombic | class = Pyramidal (mm2) <br/>H-M symbol: (mm2) | symmetry = ''P''2<sub>1</sub>ca | unit cell = a = 14.33 Å, b = 16.79 Å <br/>c = 14.73 Å; Z = 4 | color = Amber, lemon- or sulfur yellow | colour = | habit = Commonly as tabular equant, to short prismatic crystals; rarely in microcrystalline aggregates | twinning = | cleavage = [001] Perfect, [010] indistinct | fracture = | tenacity = Brittle | mohs = 2.5 | luster = Adamantine | streak = Yellow | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | gravity = 4.8 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxial (−) | refractive = n<sub>α</sub> = 1.690 n<sub>β</sub> = 1.714 n<sub>γ</sub> = 1.735 | birefringence = δ = 0.045 | pleochroism = X = almost colorless; Y = Z = lemon-yellow to golden yellow | 2V = Measured: 89° | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence= Short and long UV = pale green | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | other = 25px Radioactive | alteration = | references = <ref name=Mindat/><ref name=Webmin/><ref name=HBM>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/schoepite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]</ref> }}
'''Schoepite''', empirical formula (UO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>8</sub>O<sub>2</sub>(OH)<sub>12</sub>·12(H<sub>2</sub>O)<ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-3574.html Mindat.org]</ref> is a rare alteration product of uraninite in hydrothermal uranium deposits. It may also form directly from ianthinite. The mineral presents as a transparent to translucent yellow, lemon yellow, brownish yellow, or amber orthorhombic tabular crystals. Although over 20 other crystal forms have been noted; rarely in microcrystalline aggregates. When exposed to air schoepite converts over a short time to the metaschoepite form (UO<sub>3</sub>·{{mvar|n}}H<sub>2</sub>O, {{math|''n'' < 2}}) within a few months of being exposed to ambient air.<ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-3574.html Mindat.org]</ref>
The hardness is 2.5, density is 4.8 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, and it streaks yellow.
It was first described from specimens from Shinkolobwe mine in Belgian Congo in 1923,<ref name=Mindat/> several additional localities are known.
Schoepite was named to honor Alfred Schoep (1881–1966), Professor of Mineralogy at the University of Ghent, Belgium.<ref name=Webmin>[http://webmineral.com/data/Schoepite.shtml Webmineral data]</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Uranium(VI) minerals Category:Oxide minerals Category:Orthorhombic minerals Category:Minerals in space group 29
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