Rutherfordine
Encyclopedia
Rutherfordine is a mineral
containing almost pure uranyl carbonate(U
O
2C
O3). 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.
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. It forms under acidic to neutral pH
and is the only known mineral that contains only uranyl
and carbonate
.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
containing almost pure uranyl carbonate(U
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
O
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
2C
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
O3). 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
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...
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
Morogoro Region
Morogoro Region is one of the regions of Tanzania. Its capital is Morogoro. It is bordered to the North by the Tanga Region, to the East by the Pwani and Lindi Regions, to the South by the Ruvuma Region and to the West by the Iringa and Dodoma Regions....
of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. It was named for Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...
. It has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and a variety of locations worldwide.
It occurs as a secondary mineral as a weathering product of uraninite
Uraninite
Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements...
. In addition to uraninite it occurs associated with the rare minerals becquerelite, masuyite
Masuyite
Masuyite is a uranium/lead oxide mineral with formula Pb[3O32]·3H2O.Masuyite was first described in 1947 for an occurrence in Katanga and named to honor Belgian geologist Gustave Masuy ....
, schoepite
Schoepite
Schoepite, empirical formula 8O12•12 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...
, kasolite, curite
Curite
Curite is a lead uranium oxide mineral with formula: Pb38O86·3. It is named after the French physicist Pierre Curie, who is known for his work on radioactivity....
, boltwoodite
Boltwoodite
Boltwoodite is a hydrated potassium uranyl silicate mineral with formula HK·1.5. It is formed from the oxidation and alteration of primary uranium ores. It takes the form of a crust on some sandstones that bear uranium...
, vandendriesscheite, billietite, metatorbernite
Metatorbernite
Metatorbernite is a radioactive phosphate mineral, and is a dehydration pseudomorph of torbernite. Chemically, it is a copper uranyl phosphate and usually occurs in the form of green platy deposits...
, fourmarierite, studtite
Studtite
Studtite, chemical formula [O22]·2 or UO4·4, is a secondary uranium mineral containing peroxide formed by the alpha-radiolysis of water during formation...
and sklodowskite. It forms under acidic to neutral pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
and is the only known mineral that contains only uranyl
Uranyl
The uranyl ion is an oxycation of uranium in the oxidation state +6, with the chemical formula [UO2]2+. It has a linear structure with short U-O bonds, indicative of the presence of multiple bonds between uranium and oxygen. Four or more ligands are bound to the uranyl ion in an equatorial plane...
and carbonate
Carbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, . The name may also mean an ester of carbonic acid, an organic compound containing the carbonate group C2....
.