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Mineralogical ClassificationDiscovery of natural native uranium

24th Nov 2015 14:25 UTCMarco E. Ciriotti Manager

Reference:

▪ Li, Z., Huang, Z., Li, X., Guo, J., Fan, C. (2015): The Discovery of Natural Native Uranium and Its Significance. Acta Geologica Sinica, 89, 1561–1567.

Abstract

This study analyzed the composition and uranium valence of pitchblendes sampled from the hydrothermal Guidong and Zhuguang uranium deposits of the middle Nanling metallogenic belt, Southern China using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A revolutionary discovery is that the uranium not only exists in the forms of tetravalent and hexavalent uranium oxides, but also occurs in the form of native uranium. This is the first discovery of the existence of native uranium in nature. It greatly helps to reveal the origin of hydrothermal mineralization of uranium, and also has great significance for studying the thermal energy, formation and evolution of the earth.

24th Nov 2015 15:53 UTCLuca Baralis Expert

That is, should / will we have "uranium" as mineral species ?

24th Nov 2015 17:12 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Luca, A lot of information is missing still before it could be called a "mineral". An invisible cluster of atoms does not constitute a mineral, which is why many "nanominerals" have not yet been proposed as species. Some minimum size is necessary for determining crystal class and measuring physical properties. One could make the same comment for the alleged clusters of free sodium atoms in blue halite - not a mineral species.

24th Nov 2015 17:41 UTCWaterDog

The redox conditions necessary to allow native uranium to form boggle the mind. I might have to buy the article.

24th Nov 2015 17:50 UTCWaterDog

WaterDog Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The redox conditions necessary to allow native

> uranium to form boggle the mind. I might have to

> buy the article.

Found it for download here:

http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxben/ch/reader/issue_list.aspx

Vol 89. Part 5.

24th Nov 2015 18:04 UTCFrank de Wit Manager

link muerte

see http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxben/ch/reader/issue_list.aspx?year_id=2015&quarter_id=5

or via http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxben/ch/reader/view_abstract.aspx?file_no=201505011&flag=1

24th Nov 2015 18:23 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Thanks for the link, Frank. As I suspected, the term "native uranium" was a very unfortunate term/translation for what they should have called zero-valent uranium. This paper has little if anything to do with discrete mineral species. An unbound atom, of any element, does not meet the criteria for being called a "mineral".

But I can picture it easily in my mind: systematic species dealers putting tiny crumbs of Chinese pitchblende into a capsule and selling it as "statistically present" native uranium :-S :-S :-S

24th Nov 2015 19:00 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Alfredo Petrov Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

.....

> But I can picture it easily in my mind: systematic

> species dealers putting tiny crumbs of Chinese

> pitchblende into a capsule and selling it as

> "statistically present" native uranium :-S :-S :-S

Sooo cruel! LOL

24th Nov 2015 19:10 UTCWaterDog

After reading the article, I'm disappointed that the author didn't discuss the environment of formation other than a very general goeolgic setting. I suspect the rush to be first to publish the discovery trumped waiting on a more developed paper.

Alfredo, even before you posted your comment I had forwarded the article to my wife with a note, "I guess we should keep an eye out for native uranium at the Tucson show this year." :-D

24th Nov 2015 20:05 UTCTony Nikischer 🌟 Manager

I got soooo excited...only to have my hopes dashed!

24th Nov 2015 23:18 UTCDoug Daniels

I can see the panic by people when someone puts a specimen of such uraninite in a case at a show, and labels it as "native uranium".

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