- Write by:
-
Friday, December 10, 2021 - 13:00:37
-
643 Visit
-
Print
Mining News Pro - A new mineral named oldsite has been verified and accepted by the International Mineralogical Association.
Oldsite forms from the interaction of air and water with uranium and iron-sulphide ores in humid underground environments, leading to crystalline deposits on the surfaces of mine walls.
The mineral occurs as tiny yellow, rectangular blades measuring up to 0.3 millimetres in length. The crystals are thin and brittle and dissolve in water. Its chemical formula is K2Fe2+[(UO2)(SO4)2]2(H2O)8 and it was initially discovered at Utah’s North Mesa mines near Temple Mountain.
Oldsite was named after Dr. Travis Olds, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s assistant curator of minerals.
Olds has discovered or been involved in the description of 24 new minerals, of which 21 contain uranium. His research focuses on the structure-property relationships of minerals and materials, employing spectroscopic, diffraction and particle scattering techniques to study them at the atomic scale.
“I’m honoured to be the namesake of such a fascinating mineral,” Olds said in a media statement.
“My research focuses on descriptive mineralogy, particularly minerals containing uranium, which has been my passion since I knew I wanted to become a mineralogist,” he said. “Oldsite is unique because it helps us fill in some puzzle pieces about how uranium behaves in the environment. The way its atoms connect to each other in the crystal structure tells us about the conditions that led to its formation. This information can be useful to help keep uranium out of drinking water, or to clean up nuclear waste.”
Short Link:
https://www.miningnews.ir/En/News/617259
Oxford Economics Australia has released data showing mine maintenance spending may be hitting its peak. But what does it ...
Iron ore futures fell to their lowest in more than two weeks, pressured by an inventory accumulation at Chinese ports ...
Anglo American’s key South African shareholders are open to a takeover offer from BHP, with some advocating for an ...
Japan’s top steelmaker, Nippon Steel, is sticking to its plan to close a deal by year-end to buy US Steel, which it ...
Anglo American’s key South African shareholders are open to a takeover offer from BHP, with some advocating for an ...
A Brazilian federal court rejected a request made by the country’s solicitor general’s office asking that miners Vale, ...
Imports of iron ore by China, the world’s biggest buyer, in 2024 are expected to be around 1.17 to 1.18 billion metric ...
BHP’s plan to divest the South African assets of its target Anglo American are key to the strategy behind the proposed ...
Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad is meeting on Friday South African mines minister Gwede Mantashe for the first time ...
No comments have been posted yet ...