Parsonsite

Parsonsite

Yellow brown parsonsite crystals with green torbernite from the Pinhal do Souto mine, Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal
General
Category Phosphate mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)		 Pb2(UO2)(PO4)2·2H2O
Strunz classification 08.EA.10
Space group Triclinic

Parsonsite is a lead uranium phosphate mineral with chemical formula: Pb2(UO2)(PO4)2·2H2O. Parsonsite contains about 45% lead and 25% uranium. It forms elongated lathlike monoclinic crystals, radial spherulites, encrustations and powdery aggregates. It is of a light yellow colour. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5-3 and a specific gravity of 5.72 - 6.29.[1][2]

It was first described in 1923 for an occurrence in the Shinkolobwe Mine, Katanga Copper Crescent, Democratic Republic of Congo. It was named for mineralogist Arthur Leonard Parsons (1873–1957) of the University of Toronto, Canada.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Webmineral data for parsonite
  2. 1 2 Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ↑ Parsonite on Mindat.org


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