Leószilárdite, the first Na,Mg-containing uranyl carbonate from the Markey Mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA

Travis A. Olds; Luke R. Sadergaski; Jakub Plášil; Anthony R. Kampf; Peter C. Burns; Ian M. Steele; Joe Marty; Shawn M. Carlson; Owen P. Mills

doi:10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149

Leószilárdite, the first Na,Mg-containing uranyl carbonate from the Markey Mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA

Travis A. Olds, Luke R. Sadergaski, Jakub Plášil, Anthony R. Kampf, Peter C. Burns, Ian M. Steele, Joe Marty, Shawn M. Carlson, Owen P. Mills

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Leószilárdite (IMA2015-128), Na₆Mg(UO₂)₂(CO₃)₆·6H₂O, was found in the Markey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA, in areas with abundant andersonite, natrozippeite, gypsum, anhydrite, and probable hydromagnesite along with other secondary uranium minerals bayleyite, čejkaite, and johannite. The new mineral occurs as aggregates of pale yellow bladed crystals flattened on {001} and elongated along [010], individually reaching up to 0.2 mm in length. More commonly it occurs as pale yellow pearlescent masses to 2 mm consisting of very small plates. Leószilárdite fluoresces green under both LW and SW UV, and is translucent with a white streak, hardness of 2 (Mohs), and brittle tenacity with uneven fracture. The new mineral is readily soluble in room temperature H₂O. Crystals have perfect cleavage along {001}, and exhibit the forms {110}, {001}, {100}, {101}, and {-101}. Optically, leószilárdite is biaxial (-), α = 1.504(1), β = 1.597(1), γ = 1.628(1) (white light); 2V (meas.) = 57(1)°, 2V (calc.) = 57.1°; dispersion r > v, slight. Pleochroism: X = colorless, Y and Z = light yellow; X < Y ≈ Z. The average of six wavelength dispersive spectroscopic (WDS) analyses provided Na₂O 14.54, MgO 3.05, UO3 47.95, CO₂ 22.13, H₂O 9.51, total 97.18 wt%. The empirical formula is Na_5.60Mg_0.90U₂O₂₈C₆H_12.60, based on 28 O apfu. Leószilárdite is monoclinic, C2/m, a = 11.6093(21), b = 6.7843(13), c = 15.1058(28) Å, β = 91.378(3)°, V = 1189.4(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure (R₁ = 0.0387 for 1394 reflections with Iobs > 4σI), consists of uranyl tricarbonate anion clusters [(UO₂)(CO₃)₃]^4- held together in part by irregular chains of NaO₅(H₂O) polyhedra sub parallel to [010]. Individual uranyl tricarbonate clusters are also linked together by three-octahedron units consisting of two Na-centered octahedra that share the opposite faces of a Mg-centered octahedron at the center (Na-Mg-Na), and have the composition Na₂MgO₁₂(H₂O)₄. The name of the new mineral honours the Hungarian-American physicist, inventor, and biologist Dr. Leó Szilárd (1898-1964).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1039-1050
Number of pages	12
Journal	Mineralogical Magazine
Volume	81
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149
State	Published - Oct 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Support for this work is provided by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, Grant No. DE-FG02-07ER15880. We thank the ND Energy Materials Characterization Facility for the use of the single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy instruments. A portion of this study was funded by the John Jago Trelawney Endowment to the Mineral Sciences Department of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Jakub Plášil is thankful for the support from the project No. LO1603 under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports National sustainability programme I of Czech Republic.

Funders	Funder number
John Jago Trelawney Endowment	LO1603
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports National sustainability programme I of Czech Republic
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-FG02-07ER15880
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division

Keywords

Crystal structure
Leószilárdite
Markey mine
New mineral
Uranium
Uranyl carbonate

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10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149

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@article{204d474bea8b410784a005aafcdc183f,

title = "Le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite, the first Na,Mg-containing uranyl carbonate from the Markey Mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA",

abstract = "Le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite (IMA2015-128), Na6Mg(UO2)2(CO3)6·6H2O, was found in the Markey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA, in areas with abundant andersonite, natrozippeite, gypsum, anhydrite, and probable hydromagnesite along with other secondary uranium minerals bayleyite, {\v c}ejkaite, and johannite. The new mineral occurs as aggregates of pale yellow bladed crystals flattened on {001} and elongated along [010], individually reaching up to 0.2 mm in length. More commonly it occurs as pale yellow pearlescent masses to 2 mm consisting of very small plates. Le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite fluoresces green under both LW and SW UV, and is translucent with a white streak, hardness of 2 (Mohs), and brittle tenacity with uneven fracture. The new mineral is readily soluble in room temperature H2O. Crystals have perfect cleavage along {001}, and exhibit the forms {110}, {001}, {100}, {101}, and {-101}. Optically, le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite is biaxial (-), α = 1.504(1), β = 1.597(1), γ = 1.628(1) (white light); 2V (meas.) = 57(1)°, 2V (calc.) = 57.1°; dispersion r > v, slight. Pleochroism: X = colorless, Y and Z = light yellow; X < Y ≈ Z. The average of six wavelength dispersive spectroscopic (WDS) analyses provided Na2O 14.54, MgO 3.05, UO3 47.95, CO2 22.13, H2O 9.51, total 97.18 wt%. The empirical formula is Na5.60Mg0.90U2O28C6H12.60, based on 28 O apfu. Le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite is monoclinic, C2/m, a = 11.6093(21), b = 6.7843(13), c = 15.1058(28) {\AA}, β = 91.378(3)°, V = 1189.4(4) {\AA}3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0387 for 1394 reflections with Iobs > 4σI), consists of uranyl tricarbonate anion clusters [(UO2)(CO3)3]4- held together in part by irregular chains of NaO5(H2O) polyhedra sub parallel to [010]. Individual uranyl tricarbonate clusters are also linked together by three-octahedron units consisting of two Na-centered octahedra that share the opposite faces of a Mg-centered octahedron at the center (Na-Mg-Na), and have the composition Na2MgO12(H2O)4. The name of the new mineral honours the Hungarian-American physicist, inventor, and biologist Dr. Le{\'o} Szil{\'a}rd (1898-1964).",

keywords = "Crystal structure, Le{\'o}szil{\'a}rdite, Markey mine, New mineral, Uranium, Uranyl carbonate",

author = "Olds, {Travis A.} and Sadergaski, {Luke R.} and Jakub Pl{\'a}{\v s}il and Kampf, {Anthony R.} and Burns, {Peter C.} and Steele, {Ian M.} and Joe Marty and Carlson, {Shawn M.} and Mills, {Owen P.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Mineralogical Society.",

year = "2017",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149",

language = "English",

volume = "81",

pages = "1039--1050",

journal = "Mineralogical Magazine",

issn = "0026-461X",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leószilárdite, the first Na,Mg-containing uranyl carbonate from the Markey Mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA

AU - Olds, Travis A.

AU - Sadergaski, Luke R.

AU - Plášil, Jakub

AU - Kampf, Anthony R.

AU - Burns, Peter C.

AU - Steele, Ian M.

AU - Marty, Joe

AU - Carlson, Shawn M.

AU - Mills, Owen P.

PY - 2017/10

Y1 - 2017/10

N2 - Leószilárdite (IMA2015-128), Na6Mg(UO2)2(CO3)6·6H2O, was found in the Markey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA, in areas with abundant andersonite, natrozippeite, gypsum, anhydrite, and probable hydromagnesite along with other secondary uranium minerals bayleyite, čejkaite, and johannite. The new mineral occurs as aggregates of pale yellow bladed crystals flattened on {001} and elongated along [010], individually reaching up to 0.2 mm in length. More commonly it occurs as pale yellow pearlescent masses to 2 mm consisting of very small plates. Leószilárdite fluoresces green under both LW and SW UV, and is translucent with a white streak, hardness of 2 (Mohs), and brittle tenacity with uneven fracture. The new mineral is readily soluble in room temperature H2O. Crystals have perfect cleavage along {001}, and exhibit the forms {110}, {001}, {100}, {101}, and {-101}. Optically, leószilárdite is biaxial (-), α = 1.504(1), β = 1.597(1), γ = 1.628(1) (white light); 2V (meas.) = 57(1)°, 2V (calc.) = 57.1°; dispersion r > v, slight. Pleochroism: X = colorless, Y and Z = light yellow; X < Y ≈ Z. The average of six wavelength dispersive spectroscopic (WDS) analyses provided Na2O 14.54, MgO 3.05, UO3 47.95, CO2 22.13, H2O 9.51, total 97.18 wt%. The empirical formula is Na5.60Mg0.90U2O28C6H12.60, based on 28 O apfu. Leószilárdite is monoclinic, C2/m, a = 11.6093(21), b = 6.7843(13), c = 15.1058(28) Å, β = 91.378(3)°, V = 1189.4(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0387 for 1394 reflections with Iobs > 4σI), consists of uranyl tricarbonate anion clusters [(UO2)(CO3)3]4- held together in part by irregular chains of NaO5(H2O) polyhedra sub parallel to [010]. Individual uranyl tricarbonate clusters are also linked together by three-octahedron units consisting of two Na-centered octahedra that share the opposite faces of a Mg-centered octahedron at the center (Na-Mg-Na), and have the composition Na2MgO12(H2O)4. The name of the new mineral honours the Hungarian-American physicist, inventor, and biologist Dr. Leó Szilárd (1898-1964).

AB - Leószilárdite (IMA2015-128), Na6Mg(UO2)2(CO3)6·6H2O, was found in the Markey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA, in areas with abundant andersonite, natrozippeite, gypsum, anhydrite, and probable hydromagnesite along with other secondary uranium minerals bayleyite, čejkaite, and johannite. The new mineral occurs as aggregates of pale yellow bladed crystals flattened on {001} and elongated along [010], individually reaching up to 0.2 mm in length. More commonly it occurs as pale yellow pearlescent masses to 2 mm consisting of very small plates. Leószilárdite fluoresces green under both LW and SW UV, and is translucent with a white streak, hardness of 2 (Mohs), and brittle tenacity with uneven fracture. The new mineral is readily soluble in room temperature H2O. Crystals have perfect cleavage along {001}, and exhibit the forms {110}, {001}, {100}, {101}, and {-101}. Optically, leószilárdite is biaxial (-), α = 1.504(1), β = 1.597(1), γ = 1.628(1) (white light); 2V (meas.) = 57(1)°, 2V (calc.) = 57.1°; dispersion r > v, slight. Pleochroism: X = colorless, Y and Z = light yellow; X < Y ≈ Z. The average of six wavelength dispersive spectroscopic (WDS) analyses provided Na2O 14.54, MgO 3.05, UO3 47.95, CO2 22.13, H2O 9.51, total 97.18 wt%. The empirical formula is Na5.60Mg0.90U2O28C6H12.60, based on 28 O apfu. Leószilárdite is monoclinic, C2/m, a = 11.6093(21), b = 6.7843(13), c = 15.1058(28) Å, β = 91.378(3)°, V = 1189.4(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0387 for 1394 reflections with Iobs > 4σI), consists of uranyl tricarbonate anion clusters [(UO2)(CO3)3]4- held together in part by irregular chains of NaO5(H2O) polyhedra sub parallel to [010]. Individual uranyl tricarbonate clusters are also linked together by three-octahedron units consisting of two Na-centered octahedra that share the opposite faces of a Mg-centered octahedron at the center (Na-Mg-Na), and have the composition Na2MgO12(H2O)4. The name of the new mineral honours the Hungarian-American physicist, inventor, and biologist Dr. Leó Szilárd (1898-1964).

KW - Crystal structure

KW - Leószilárdite

KW - Markey mine

KW - New mineral

KW - Uranium

KW - Uranyl carbonate

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U2 - 10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149

DO - 10.1180/minmag.2016.080.149

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85030184405

SN - 0026-461X

VL - 81

SP - 1039

EP - 1050

JO - Mineralogical Magazine

JF - Mineralogical Magazine

IS - 5

ER -

Leószilárdite, the first Na,Mg-containing uranyl carbonate from the Markey Mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA

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