Oppenheimerite

{{Short description|Very rare uranium mineral}}

{{infobox mineral

| name = Oppenheimerite

| category = Sulfate mineral

| image =

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption =

| formula = Na₂(UO₂)(SO₄)₂•3H₂O

| IMAsymbol = Ohm{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3 |pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W |s2cid=235729616 |doi-access=free}}

| strunz =

| dana =

| system = Triclinic

| class = Pinacoidal ({{overline|1}})
(same H-M symbol)

| symmetry = P{{overline|1}}

| unit cell = a = 7.96, b = 8.20,
c = 9.81 [Å]; α = 65.97°
β = 70.28°, γ = 91.46° (approximated), Z = 2

| color = Pale greenish-yellow

| colour =

| habit = prismatic

| twinning =

| cleavage = {1{{overline|1|}}0}, {011} and {101}, good

| fracture = Irregular

| tenacity =

| mohs = 2.5

| luster = Vitreous

| streak = White

| diaphaneity = Transparent

| gravity =

| density = 3.36 (calculated) (approximated)

| polish =

| opticalprop = Biaxal (+)

| refractive = nα=1.54, nβ=1.63, nγ=1.59 (approximated)

| birefringence =

| pleochroism = Very pale greenish-yellow (X), pale greenish-yellow (Y), greenish-yellow (Z)

| 2V = 72^o (measured)

| dispersion =

| extinction =

| length fast/slow =

| fluorescence = Greenish-white

| absorption =

| melt =

| fusibility =

| diagnostic =

| solubility =

| impurities =

| alteration =

| other = 25px Radioactive

| references = Kampf, A.R., Plášil, J., Kasatkin, A.V., Marty, J., and Čejka, J., 2015. Fermiite, Na4(UO2)(SO4)3·3H2O and oppenheimerite, Na2(UO2)(SO4)2·3H2O, two new uranyl sulfate minerals from the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Mineralogical Magazine 79(5), 1123-1142

}}

Oppenheimerite is a very rare uranium mineral with the formula Na₂(UO₂)(SO₄)₂•3H₂O.{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46514.html |title=Oppenheimerite: Oppenheimerite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}} Chemically related minerals include fermiite, natrozippeite, plášilite, belakovskiite and meisserite.{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46506.html |title=Fermiite: Fermiite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-3694.html |title=Natrozippeite: Natrozippeite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46145.html |title=Plášilite: Plášilite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-45960.html |title=Belakovskiite: Belakovskiite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/min-43905.html |title=Meisserite: Meisserite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}} Most of these uranyl sulfate minerals were originally found in the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, US.{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-38665.html |title=Blue Lizard Mine, Chocolate Drop, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan Co., Utah, USA - Mindat.org |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-10}} The mineral is named after American Theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.