Běhounekite
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About Běhounekite
Formula:
U(SO4)2(H2O)4
Colour:
Green
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
2
Specific Gravity:
3.62 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in honour of Prof. František Běhounek (27 October 1898, Prague, Austria-Hungary – 1 January 1973, Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia), nuclear physicist, explorer, and writer. The asteroid 3278 Běhounek is also named after him.
Classification of Běhounekite
Physical Properties of Běhounekite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Green
Streak:
Grey, greenish grey
Hardness:
2 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Very Good
Very good along {100}
Very good along {100}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
3.62 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Běhounekite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.590(2) nβ = 1.618(4) nγ = 1.659(2)
2V:
Calculated: 81°
Birefringence:
0.069
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.069

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
α ~ β = pale emerald green; γ = emerald green
Chemical Properties of Běhounekite
Formula:
U(SO4)2(H2O)4
IMA Formula:
U(SO4)2(H2O)4
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Běhounekite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pnma
Cell Parameters:
a = 14.6464(3) Å, b = 11.0786(3) Å, c = 5.6910(1) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.322 : 1 : 0.514
Unit Cell V:
923.43 ų
Z:
4
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
7.330 Å | (100) |
6.112 Å | (54) |
5.538 Å | (21) |
4.787 Å | (42) |
3.663 Å | (17) |
3.478 Å | (20) |
3.080 Å | (41) |
2.495 Å | (17) |
Type Occurrence of Běhounekite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Short prismatic to tabular crystals, less commonly long prismatic crystals up to 0.5 mm long.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic, catalogue number P1p 2/2010.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Běhounekite is a very rare secondary mineral that was found on material collected from the footwall of the mine adit. It occurs on highly altered arsenic.
Reference:
Plášil, J., Fejfarová, K., Novák, M., Dušek, M., Škoda, R., Hloušek, J., Čejka, J., Majzlan, J., Sejkora, J., Machovič, V. & Talla, D. (2011) Běhounekite, U(SO4)2(H2O)4 , from Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Czech Republic: the first natural U4+ sulphate. Mineralogical Magazine: 75: 2739-2753.
Synonyms of Běhounekite
Common Associates
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Běhounekite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Plášil, J., Fejfarová, K., Novák, M., Dušek, M., Sejkora, J., Škoda, R., Hloušek, J. and Majzlan, J. (2010) Běhounekite, IMA 2010-046. CNMNC Newsletter No. 7, February 2010, page 28; Mineralogical Magazine, 75, 27-31.
Plášil, J., Fejfarová, K., Novák, M., Dušek, M., Škoda, R., Hloušek, J., Čejka, J., Majzlan, J., Sejkora, J., Machovič, V. & Talla, D. (2011) Běhounekite, U(SO4)2(H2O)4, from Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Czech Republic: the first natural U4+ sulphate. Mineralogical Magazine: 75: 2739-2753.
Internet Links for Běhounekite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-41073.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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Localities for Běhounekite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Czech Republic (TL) | |
| Plášil, J., Fejfarová, K., Novák, M., Dušek, M., Sejkora, J., Škoda, R., Hloušek, J. and Majzlan, J. (2010) Běhounekite, IMA 2010-046. CNMNC Newsletter No. 7, February 2010, page 28; Mineralogical Magazine, 75, 27-31. |
Geschieber vein, Svornost Mine, Jáchymov, Karlovy Vary District, Karlovy Vary Region, Czech Republic