Database of luminescent Minerals

AUTUNITE

Chemical Formula: Ca(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂ 11H₂O

Familly: Phosphates, Arseniates, Vanadates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal System: Tetragonal

Mineral for Display: No

Luminescence:

Daylight Picture

AUTUNITE, Spokane, USA.
Photo and Copyright: Joan Abella i Creus, Spain
Used with permission of the author

Long Waves Picture (365nm)

AUTUNITE, Spokane, USA. LW (365 nm)
Photo and Copyright: Joan Abella i Creus, Spain Used with permission of the author

Galerie de photos:

     To the gallery (7 images in the gallery)

Phosphorescence (in the common meaning of the term) seen by naked eye:

Comments:

Named by Henry J. Brooke and William H. Miller in 1854 for the type locality at Saint Symphorien near Autun, Saône-et-Loire, France.

Dehydrates in air to form meta-autunite.

Caution!

The autunite is highly radioactive. Like many uranium minerals (especially micaceous minerals) it is so easily clipped that inevitably a fine dust is formed in the boxes containing it that it is very dangerous to inhale. Avoid flying this dust in the air by brushing it or worse by blowing on it and wash your hands after each handling.

Main Activator(s) and spectrum:

Most Common Activator: (UO₂)²⁺ (Uranyl ion) intrinsic

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

488.6, 504, 524.2, 548, 573.9, 602.4 - (488), 503, 524,(547), 550,(572), 600, (627)

Comments on activators and spectra:

Pics pour la meta-autunite: 488, 501.6, 523.7, 547.2, 573.3, 600.2 ;

Lifetime: 60μs ;

Best Locality for luminescence(*):

• Saint-Symphorien-de-Marmagne uranium deposit, Saint-Symphorien-de-Marmagne, Autun, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France;
• Margnac II Mine, Compreignac, Bellac, Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France;
• Daybreak mine (Dahl lease), Mount Kit Carson, near Mt Spokane, Spokane County, Washington, USA;
• Cunha Baixa Mine, Beira Alta Province, Portugal;
• Assunção Mine, Aldeia Nova, Ferreira de Aves, Sátão, Viseu (Sao Vicente), Portugal;
• Krunkelbach Valley Uranium deposit, Menzenschwand, St Blasien, Waldshut, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany;
• Menzenschwand, St Blasien, Waldshut, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany;

(*)Data are not exhaustive and are limited to the most important localities for fluorescence

Bibliographical Reference for luminescence:

• The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
• Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light, Manuel Robbins, 1994, Geoscience Press, ISBN 0-945005-13-X ,
• The World of Fluorescent Minerals, Stuart Schneider, Schiffer Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-7643-2544-2 ,
• Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,
• Uranium minerals Website: http://www.uraniumminerals.com ,

Luminescence Reference on internet:

• Strontian Meta-Autunite from the Daybreak Mine, Mt Spokane, Washington, A. Volborth, THE  AMERICAN  MINERALOGIST, Vol. 44,  JULY-AUGUST, 1959
• Systematic Mineralogy of Uranium and Thorium, Clifford Frondel, p 163

 

Images:

 

• La Dorgissière Mine, Saint-Amand-sur-Sèvre, France: https://www.mindat.org/photo-865200.html
• Montoso Quarries, Bagnolo Piemonte, Piedmont, Italy: https://www.mindat.org/photo-751374.html
• Assunção Mine, Aldeia Nova, Ferreira de Aves, Viseu, Portugal: https://www.mindat.org/photo-138152.html
• Menzenschwand, St Blasien, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: https://www.mindat.org/photo-306243.html
• Nanjingqiao U deposit, Pingjiang Co., Yueyang, Hunan, China: https://www.mindat.org/photo-780053.html
• Morbihan, Brittany, France: https://www.mindat.org/photo-1025831.html

Mineralogical Reference on internet:

  http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Autunite

  http://webmineral.com/data/Autunite.shtml

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