Protasite Mineral Data

General Protasite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,083.47 gm

Barium 12.67 % Ba 14.15 % BaO

Uranium 65.91 % U 74.77 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.74 % H 6.65 % H₂O

Oxygen 20.67 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.57 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ba(UO₂)₃O₃(OH)₂•3(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1986

Locality:

Shinkolobwe, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Jean Protas (1931-), University of Nancy, France.

Name Pronunciation:

Protasite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 202479

PDF 39-349

Protasite Image

Images:

Protasite

Comments: Orange crystals of protasite on matrix.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine (Kasolo mine), Shaba (Katanga), Congo (ZaÃ¯re). Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Protasite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.7027:1:0.9633

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.2949, b = 7.2206, c = 6.9558, Z = 2; beta = 90.401° V = 617.50 Den(Calc)= 5.83

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - DomaticH-M Symbol (m) Space Group: Pn

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.14(1), 7.06(0.5), 3.58(0.35),

Crystal Structure:

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Pagoaga M K , Appleman D E , Stewart J M , American Mineralogist , 72 (1987) p.1230-1238, Crystal structures and crystal chemistry of the uranyl oxide hydrates, becquerelite, billietite, and protasite

Physical Properties of Protasite

Cleavage:

{010} Good

Color:

Light orange.

Density:

5.827

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Luster:

Subadamantine

Optical Properties of Protasite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.204 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.203 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1389,KPDmeas= 0.139,KC= 0.1155
Ncalc = 1.67

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), b=1.79-1.83, g=1.79-1.83, , 2V(Meas)=60-65.

Calculated Properties of Protasite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.86 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Protasite =5.83 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Protasite=1,853.03 barns/electron
U=PE_Protasite x r_electron=9,013.68 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,687,273.28 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Protasite per GRapi unit = 213.34 (PPB)

Protasite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 6.49 ± 1.62 grams of pure Protasite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 648.92 ±162.23 grams of pure Protasite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Protasite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.89 cm	117,974,340	3.19E-03	4,687,273.28	1,541.02
100 gm / 3.20 cm	11,797,434	3.19E-04	468,727.33	154.10
10 gm / 1.49 cm	1,179,743	3.19E-05	46,872.73	15.41
1 gm / 6.89 mm	117,974	3.19E-06	4,687.27	1.54
0.1 gm / 3.20 mm	11,797	3.19E-07	468.73	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.49 mm	1,180	3.19E-08	46.87	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.69 mm	118	3.19E-09	4.69	0.00

Weight of pure Protasite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.83 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Protasite Classification

Dana Class:

05.05.03.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(05.05)with alkaline and alkaline-earth elements (hydrated)

(05.05.03)Dana Group

05.05.03.01 Protasite Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2•3(H2O) Pn m

Strunz Class:

04.GB.10 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides

04.GB -With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra

04.GB.10 Billietite Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6•8(H2O) Pbn21 mm2

04.GB.10 Becquerelite Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6•8(H2O) Pn21a mm2

04.GB.10 Protasite Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2•3(H2O) Pn m

Other Protasite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Protasite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Protasite Specimen Label here :

Protasite

Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 05.05.03.01 Strunz No: 04.GB.10
Locality:

Notes: