May 29 2014
Swartzite has a monoclinic crystal system. It was named after Charles Kephart Swartz, Professor of Geology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland (USA).
Properties of Swartzite
The following are the key properties of Swartzite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P21/m (synthetic)
- a = 11.080(2)
- b = 14.634(2)
- c = 6.439(1)
- β = 99.43(1)°
- Z = 2
- Crystal Data
- Monoclinic
- Point Group: 2/m
- As crystals, to about 0.3mm, prismatic along [001], in efforescent crusts
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 8.76 (10), 5.50 (10), 7.31 (9), 4.82 (8), 2.91 (8), 2.06 (8), 1.707 (8)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| UO3 |
38.85 |
39.15 |
| H2O |
29.69 |
29.59 |
| CO2 |
17.92 |
18.07 |
| CaO |
7.32 |
7.67 |
| MgO |
5.47 |
5.52 |
| K2O |
0.49 |
|
| Na2O |
0.26 |
|
| Total |
100 |
100 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Biaxial (–)
- Pleochroism: X = colorless; Y = Z = yellow
- Dispersion: r > v
- α = 1.465
- β = 1.51
- γ = 1.540
- 2V(meas.) = n.d
- 2V(calc.) = 40°
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 2.22 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Swartzite = 2.32 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PESwartzite = 772.43 barns/electron
U = PESwartzite x ρElectron density = 1716.92 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.0065
Boson index = 0.0065 |
Radioactivity
|
Swartzite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Swartzite
Swartzite can be identified by its light green, yellowish-white, or yellowish colors. It is fluorescent in nature, and has white streak. It can be formed as efflorescence crystals covering the matrix, produced from transpiro-evaporation, or as prismatic crystals.
The density of swartzite is 2.3 g/cm3.
Global Distribution
Swartzite is distributed in the following places:
- Rifle mine, Garfield Co. Colorado
- Schwartzwalder mine, Jefferson Co. Colorado
- Coral prospect, Elk Ridge, San Juan Co. Utah
Occurrence of Swartzite and Useful Mineral Association
Swartzite occurs as a secondary mineral in oxidized portions of a polymetallic sulfide deposit, which is the undetermined source of uranium.
References