[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"minerals:one:1106":3},{"id":4,"longid":5,"guid":6,"name":7,"shortcode_ima":8,"entrytype":9,"entrytype_text":10,"varietyof":11,"synid":11,"polytypeof":11,"groupid":12,"weighting":13,"nolocadd":14,"blacklisted":14,"mindat_formula":15,"mindat_formula_note":16,"ima_formula":17,"elements":18,"sigelements":23,"key_elements":24,"impurities":25,"cim":26,"ima_status":27,"ima_notes":11,"ima_history":11,"approval_year":11,"publication_year":30,"discovery_year":31,"strunz10ed1":32,"strunz10ed2":33,"strunz10ed3":34,"strunz10ed4":35,"dana8ed1":36,"dana8ed2":37,"dana8ed3":38,"dana8ed4":39,"csystem":40,"cclass":41,"spacegroup":42,"spacegroupset":43,"a":44,"b":45,"c":46,"alpha":45,"beta":45,"gamma":45,"aerror":11,"berror":11,"cerror":11,"alphaerror":11,"betaerror":11,"gammaerror":11,"va3":11,"z":47,"csmetamict":14,"commentcrystal":11,"twinning":11,"tranglide":11,"parting":11,"epitaxidescription":11,"morphology":48,"tlform":49,"hmin":50,"hmax":51,"hardtype":11,"vhnmin":45,"vhnmax":45,"vhnerror":11,"vhng":11,"vhns":11,"commenthard":11,"dmeas":52,"dmeas2":52,"dcalc":45,"dmeaserror":11,"dcalcerror":11,"commentdense":11,"lustre":11,"lustretype":53,"commentluster":11,"diapheny":54,"streak":11,"colour":55,"commentcolor":56,"colors":57,"streak_colors":11,"luminescence":11,"uv":11,"cleavage":11,"cleavagetype":11,"fracturetype":61,"tenacity":62,"commentbreak":11,"opticaltype":63,"opticalsign":64,"opticalalpha":65,"opticalalpha2":66,"opticalalphaerror":11,"opticalbeta":65,"opticalbeta2":66,"opticalbetaerror":11,"opticalgamma":45,"opticalgamma2":45,"opticalgammaerror":11,"opticalomega":45,"opticalomega2":45,"opticalomegaerror":11,"opticalepsilon":45,"opticalepsilon2":45,"opticalepsilonerror":11,"opticaln":45,"opticaln2":45,"opticalnerror":11,"optical2vcalc":45,"optical2vcalc2":45,"optical2vcalcerror":11,"optical2vmeasured":45,"optical2vmeasured2":45,"optical2vmeasurederror":11,"rimin":67,"rimax":68,"opticaldispersion":11,"opticalpleochroism":69,"opticalpleochorismdesc":70,"opticalbirefringence":11,"opticalcomments":11,"opticalcolour":11,"opticalinternal":11,"opticaltropic":11,"opticalanisotropism":11,"opticalbireflectance":11,"opticalextinction":11,"opticalr":11,"specdispm":11,"ir":11,"electrical":11,"magnetism":11,"thermalbehaviour":11,"other":71,"industrial":72,"occurrence":73,"otheroccurrence":74,"type_specimen_store":75,"description_short":76,"aboutname":77,"rock_parent":11,"rock_parent2":11,"rock_root":9,"rock_bgs_code":11,"meteoritical_code":11,"updttime":78,"reviewed_at":11,"variety_of":11,"varieties":79,"group_members":80,"associates":112,"confused_with":146,"type_localities":147,"occurrence_total":154,"citations":155,"images":250,"structures":279,"synonyms":286,"language_names":287,"wikidata_qid":362,"texts":363},1106,"1:1:1106:4","cd6d9c3f-5b5e-4185-86d1-ca30ef5a6e43","Coffinite","Cof",0,"mineral",null,39501,1315,false,"U(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)·nH\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O","Also given as (U\u003Csup>4+\u003C\u002Fsup>,Th)(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>1-x\u003C\u002Fsub>(OH)\u003Csub>4x\u003C\u002Fsub>","U(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>) · nH\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O",[19,20,21,22],"Si","O","H","U",[19,20,21,22],[22],",Al,Fe,As,V,Pb,,","14.16.2",[28,29],"APPROVED","GRANDFATHERED",1955,"1954","9","A","D","30","51","5","2","4","Tetragonal",27,178,"I41\u002Famd ","6.979","0","6.252",4,"Extremely fine grained to massive. In colloform or botryoidal incrustations, radially fibrous.","Fine grained. Often visually indistinguishable from uraninite.",5,6,"5.1","Adamantine","Opaque","Black","Transmitted light the smaller particles of coffinite-bearing material are pale brown to very dark brown on thin edges.",[58,59,60],"black","yellow","brown","Irregular\u002FUneven,Sub-Conchoidal","brittle","Uniaxial","+\u002F-","1.73","1.75",1.73,1.75,"Visible","Moderate; pale yellow-brown parallel to length, medium brown perdendicular to length.","Radioactive","uranium ore","Unoxidized uranium deposit. Replacements of organic material and as disseminations in sandstone.","unoxidized uranium deposits","The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1956,201; National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 112646.","Forms a solid solution with thorite.","Named in honor of Reuben Clare Coffin (29 October 1886, Longmont, Colorado, USA - 10 September 1972, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA), geologist, for his outstanding geologic studies in southwestern Colorado. He worked as Chief Geologist of the Midwest Refining Company, later the Stanolind Oil and Gas company, and consultant to USGS.","2026-05-07 19:01:52",[],[81,88,93,98,106],{"id":82,"name":83,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":84,"mindat_formula":84,"hmin":85,"hmax":85,"dmeas":45,"dcalc":86,"primary_image_id":87},1792,"Hafnon","Hf(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)",7.5,"6.97",10681,{"id":89,"name":90,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":91,"mindat_formula":91,"hmin":85,"hmax":85,"dmeas":45,"dcalc":92,"primary_image_id":11},11467,"Reidite","Zr(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)","5.2",{"id":94,"name":95,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":96,"mindat_formula":96,"hmin":11,"hmax":11,"dmeas":11,"dcalc":97,"primary_image_id":11},38899,"Stetindite-(Ce)","Ce(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)","5.03",{"id":99,"name":100,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":101,"mindat_formula":101,"hmin":102,"hmax":102,"dmeas":103,"dcalc":104,"primary_image_id":105},3946,"Thorite","Th(SiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)",4.5,"6.70","4.40",24127,{"id":107,"name":108,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":91,"mindat_formula":91,"hmin":85,"hmax":85,"dmeas":109,"dcalc":110,"primary_image_id":111},4421,"Zircon","4.6","4.714",31046,[113,121,130,138],{"id":114,"name":115,"entrytype":9,"csystem":116,"ima_formula":117,"mindat_formula":117,"hmin":118,"hmax":119,"dmeas":45,"dcalc":45,"primary_image_id":120},2114,"Jordisite","Amorphous","MoS\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>",1,2,12695,{"id":122,"name":123,"entrytype":9,"csystem":40,"ima_formula":124,"mindat_formula":125,"hmin":119,"hmax":126,"dmeas":127,"dcalc":128,"primary_image_id":129},2662,"Meta-autunite","Ca(UO\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>(PO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub> · 6H\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O","Ca(UO\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>(PO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>·6H\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O",2.5,"3.35","3.31",15979,{"id":131,"name":132,"entrytype":9,"csystem":133,"ima_formula":134,"mindat_formula":135,"hmin":119,"hmax":126,"dmeas":136,"dcalc":137,"primary_image_id":11},2665,"Metauranocircite","Monoclinic","Ba(UO\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>(PO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub> · 6H\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O","Ba(UO\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>(PO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>)\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>·7H\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>O","3.94","3.95",{"id":139,"name":140,"entrytype":9,"csystem":141,"ima_formula":142,"mindat_formula":142,"hmin":50,"hmax":51,"dmeas":143,"dcalc":144,"primary_image_id":145},4102,"Uraninite","Isometric","UO\u003Csub>2\u003C\u002Fsub>","10.63","10.88",30895,[],[148],{"id":149,"txt":150,"latitude":151,"longitude":152,"country":153},5934,"La Sal No. 2 Mine, Beaver Mesa, Gateway Mining District, Mesa County, Colorado, USA",38.651014,-109.0521009,"USA",645,[156,159,163,167,171,175,179,184,189,194,198,202,207,212,217,222,227,232,236,241,245],{"id":157,"year":30,"html":158,"doi":11},522706,"Fleischer, M. (1955) New mineral names. \u003Ci>American Mineralogist\u003C\u002Fi>,  40 (9-10). 941-944 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='http:\u002F\u002Fwww.minsocam.org\u002Fammin\u002FAM40\u002FAM40_941.pdf?reftype=.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":160,"year":30,"html":161,"doi":162},2175115,"STIEFF, L. R., STERN, T. W., SHERWOOD, A. M. (1955) Preliminary Description of Coffinite-- a New Uranium Mineral. \u003Ci>Science\u003C\u002Fi>, 121 (3147). 608-609 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1126\u002Fscience.121.3147.608-a'>doi:10.1126\u002Fscience.121.3147.608-a\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1126\u002Fscience.121.3147.608-a",{"id":164,"year":165,"html":166,"doi":11},522829,1956,"Stieff, L. R., Stern, T. W., Sherwood, A. M. (1956) Coffinite, a uranous silicate with hydroxyl substitution: a new mineral. \u003Ci>American Mineralogist\u003C\u002Fi>,  41 (9-10) 675-688 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='http:\u002F\u002Fwww.minsocam.org\u002Fammin\u002FAM41\u002FAM41_675.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":168,"year":165,"html":169,"doi":170},2177080,"HOEKSTRA, H. R., FUCHS, L. H. (1956) Synthesis of Coffinite--USiO4. \u003Ci>Science\u003C\u002Fi>, 123 (3186). 105 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1126\u002Fscience.123.3186.105'>doi:10.1126\u002Fscience.123.3186.105\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1126\u002Fscience.123.3186.105",{"id":172,"year":173,"html":174,"doi":11},523028,1958,"Fuchs, L. H., Gebert, Elizabeth (1958) X-ray studies of synthetic coffinite, thorite and uranothorites. \u003Ci>American Mineralogist\u003C\u002Fi>,  43 (3-4) 243-248 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='http:\u002F\u002Fwww.minsocam.org\u002Fammin\u002FAM43\u002FAM43_243.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":176,"year":177,"html":178,"doi":11},523645,1962,"Moench, Robert H. (1962) Properties and paragenesis of coffinite from the Woodrow mine, New Mexico. \u003Ci>American Mineralogist\u003C\u002Fi>,  47 (1-2) 26-33 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='http:\u002F\u002Fwww.minsocam.org\u002Fammin\u002FAM47\u002FAM47_26.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":180,"year":181,"html":182,"doi":183},16596174,1969,"Ramdohr, Paul (1969) \u003Ci>The Ore Minerals and their Intergrowths\u003C\u002Fi>. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1174pp. \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fc2013-0-10027-x'>doi:10.1016\u002Fc2013-0-10027-x\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1016\u002Fc2013-0-10027-x",{"id":185,"year":186,"html":187,"doi":188},77,1996,"Janeczek, Janusz, Ewing, Rodney (1996) Phosphatian coffinite with rare earth elements and Ce-rich françoisite-(Nd) from sandstone beneath a natural fission reactor at Bangombé, Gabon. \u003Ci>Mineralogical Magazine\u003C\u002Fi>,  60 (401) 665-669 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1180\u002Fminmag.1996.060.401.14'>doi:10.1180\u002Fminmag.1996.060.401.14\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Frruff.info\u002Fdoclib\u002FMinMag\u002FVolume_60\u002F60-401-665.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1180\u002Fminmag.1996.060.401.14",{"id":190,"year":191,"html":192,"doi":193},3142524,2000,"Teterin, Yu. A.; Utkin, I. O.; Melnikov, I. V.; Lebedev, A. M.; Teterin, A. Yu.; Ivanov, K. E.; Nikitin, A. S.; Vukchevich, L. (2000) X-Ray Photoelectron Study of Thorium Silicate ThSiO4 · nH2O and Uranium Silicate USiO4·nH2O. \u003Ci>Journal of Structural Chemistry\u003C\u002Fi>,  41 (6). 965-971 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1023\u002Fa:1010302805492'>doi:10.1023\u002Fa:1010302805492\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1023\u002Fa:1010302805492",{"id":195,"year":196,"html":197,"doi":11},16963769,2001,"(2001) Coffinite. \u003Ci>Handbook of Mineralogy\u003C\u002Fi>. Mineralogical Society of America \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fwww.handbookofmineralogy.org\u002Fpdfs\u002Fcoffinite.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":199,"year":200,"html":201,"doi":11},16693743,2003,"Ondruš, P., Veselovský, F., Gabašová, A., Hloušek, J., Šrein, V., Vavřín, I., Skála, R., Sejkora, J., Drábek, M. (2003) Primary minerals of the Jáchymov ore district. \u003Ci>Journal of the Czech Geological Society\u003C\u002Fi>,  48 (3-4) 19-147 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='http:\u002F\u002Fwww.jgeosci.org\u002Fcontent\u002FJCGS2003_3-4__ondrus2.pdf' class='refpdflink'>\u003C\u002Fa>",{"id":203,"year":204,"html":205,"doi":206},270338,2006,"Förster, H.-J. (2006) Composition and origin of intermediate solid solutions in the system thorite–xenotime–zircon–coffinite. \u003Ci>Lithos\u003C\u002Fi>,  88 (1) 35-55 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.lithos.2005.08.003'>doi:10.1016\u002Fj.lithos.2005.08.003\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1016\u002Fj.lithos.2005.08.003",{"id":208,"year":209,"html":210,"doi":211},295730,2008,"Deditius, Artur P.; Utsunomiya, Satoshi; Ewing, Rodney C. (2008) The chemical stability of coffinite, USiO4·\u003Ci>n\u003C\u002Fi>H2O; 0<\u003Ci>n\u003C\u002Fi><2, associated with organic matter: A case study from Grants uranium region, New Mexico, USA. \u003Ci>Chemical Geology\u003C\u002Fi>,  251 (1-4). 33-49 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.chemgeo.2008.02.009'>doi:10.1016\u002Fj.chemgeo.2008.02.009\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1016\u002Fj.chemgeo.2008.02.009",{"id":213,"year":214,"html":215,"doi":216},4160911,2009,"Pointeau, V., Deditius, A.P., Miserque, F., Renock, D., Becker, U., Zhang, J., Clavier, N., Dacheux, N., Poinssot, C., Ewing, R.C. (2009) Synthesis and characterization of coffinite. \u003Ci>Journal of Nuclear Materials\u003C\u002Fi>, 393 (3). 449-458 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.jnucmat.2009.06.030'>doi:10.1016\u002Fj.jnucmat.2009.06.030\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1016\u002Fj.jnucmat.2009.06.030",{"id":218,"year":219,"html":220,"doi":221},128922,2010,"Deditius, Artur P.; Utsunomiya, Satoshi; Pointeau, Véronique; Ewing, Rodney C. (2010) Precipitation and alteration of coffinite (USiO4·nH2O) in the presence of apatite. \u003Ci>European Journal of Mineralogy\u003C\u002Fi>,  22 (1). 75-88 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1127\u002F0935-1221\u002F2010\u002F0022-1990'>doi:10.1127\u002F0935-1221\u002F2010\u002F0022-1990\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1127\u002F0935-1221\u002F2010\u002F0022-1990",{"id":223,"year":224,"html":225,"doi":226},396962,2012,"Deditius, A. P., Pointeau, V., Zhang, J. M., Ewing, R. C. (2012) Formation of nanoscale Th-coffinite. \u003Ci>American Mineralogist\u003C\u002Fi>,  97 (4) 681-693 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.2138\u002Fam.2012.3951'>doi:10.2138\u002Fam.2012.3951\u003C\u002Fa>","10.2138\u002Fam.2012.3951",{"id":228,"year":229,"html":230,"doi":231},16394631,2014,"Clavier, N., Szenknect, S., Costin, D.T., Mesbah, A., Poinssot, C., Dacheux, N. (2014) From thorite to coffinite: A spectroscopic study of Th1−xUxSiO4 solid solutions. \u003Ci>Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy\u003C\u002Fi>, 118. 302-307 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.saa.2013.08.093'>doi:10.1016\u002Fj.saa.2013.08.093\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1016\u002Fj.saa.2013.08.093",{"id":233,"year":229,"html":234,"doi":235},16440871,"Baron, Fabien, Robin, Valentin, Beaufort, Daniel, Szenknect, Stéphanie, Dacheux, Nicolas, Petit, Sabine (2014) Use of near Infrared Spectroscopy for the Identification of Coffinite and Uranothorite. \u003Ci>Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy\u003C\u002Fi>, 22 (2) 149-152 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1255\u002Fjnirs.1110'>doi:10.1255\u002Fjnirs.1110\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1255\u002Fjnirs.1110",{"id":237,"year":238,"html":239,"doi":240},1837315,2015,"Guo, Xiaofeng, Szenknect, Stéphanie, Mesbah, Adel, Labs, Sabrina, Clavier, Nicolas, Poinssot, Christophe, Ushakov, Sergey V., Curtius, Hildegard, Bosbach, Dirk, Ewing, Rodney C., Burns, Peter C., Dacheux, Nicolas, Navrotsky, Alexandra (2015) Thermodynamics of formation of coffinite, USiO4. \u003Ci>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\u002Fi>,  112 (21) 6551-6555 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1073\u002Fpnas.1507441112'>doi:10.1073\u002Fpnas.1507441112\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1073\u002Fpnas.1507441112",{"id":242,"year":238,"html":243,"doi":244},1604693,"Mesbah, Adel; Szenknect, Stephanie; Clavier, Nicolas; Lozano-Rodriguez, Janeth; Poinssot, Christophe; Den Auwer, Christophe; Ewing, Rodney C.; Dacheux, Nicolas (2015) Coffinite, USiO\u003Csub>4\u003C\u002Fsub>, Is Abundant in Nature: So Why Is It So Difficult To Synthesize? \u003Ci>Inorganic Chemistry\u003C\u002Fi>,  54 (14). p.6687-6696. \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1021\u002Fic502808n'>doi:10.1021\u002Fic502808n\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1021\u002Fic502808n",{"id":246,"year":247,"html":248,"doi":249},244954,2017,"Macmillan, Edeltraud, Cook, Nigel J., Ehrig, Kathy, Pring, Allan (2017) Chemical and textural interpretation of late-stage coffinite and brannerite from the Olympic Dam IOCG-Ag-U deposit. \u003Ci>Mineralogical Magazine\u003C\u002Fi>,  81 (6) 1323-1366 \u003Ca target='_blank' href='https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1180\u002Fminmag.2017.081.006'>doi:10.1180\u002Fminmag.2017.081.006\u003C\u002Fa>","10.1180\u002Fminmag.2017.081.006",[251,261,271],{"id":252,"source_url":253,"license_code":254,"credit_html":255,"title":256,"description":257,"author":258,"original_width":259,"original_height":260},6047,"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=167449276","CC BY 2.0","James St. John, via \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=167449276\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons\u003C\u002Fa>","Coffinite in sandstone (San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah, USA).jpg","Coffinite in sandstone from Utah, USA. (Robert Lauf collection)\n\u003Cp>A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties.  At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical.  Currently, there are over 5100 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common.  Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry.  Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The silicates are the most abundant and chemically complex group of minerals.  All silicates have silica as the basis for their chemistry.  \"Silica\" refers to SiO2 chemistry.  The fundamental molecular unit of silica is one small silicon atom surrounded by four large oxygen atoms in the shape of a triangular pyramid - this is the silica tetrahedron - SiO4.  Each oxygen atom is shared by two silicon atoms, so only half of the four oxygens \"belong\" to each silicon.  The resulting formula for silica is thus SiO2, not SiO4.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Coffinite is a scarce uranium thorium hydroxysilicate mineral, (U,Th)(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x.  Both uranium and thorium are radioactive.  Coffinite is a primary uranium mineral and forms under non-oxidizing conditions - in such environments, the uranium is in the form of U+4 ions.  The sample shown above is a quartzose sandstone from Utah that is richly impregnated with intergranular, black-colored coffinite.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Locality: unrecorded\u002Fundisclosed site in the San Rafael Swell, Emery County, east-central Utah, USA\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp>Photo gallery of coffinite:\n\u003C\u002Fp>\nwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=1106","James St. John",1427,1094,{"id":262,"source_url":263,"license_code":264,"credit_html":265,"title":266,"description":267,"author":268,"original_width":269,"original_height":270},6040,"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=9675607","Public domain","Jędrzej Pełka, via \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=9675607\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons\u003C\u002Fa>","Blenda smolista + coffinit.jpg","\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002Fen:Pitchblende\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:en:Pitchblende\">Pitchblende\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002Fen:Coffinite\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:en:Coffinite\">coffinite\u003C\u002Fa> - \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002Fen:Z%C3%A1les%C3%AD_(Javorn%C3%ADk)\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:en:Zálesí (Javorník)\">Zálesí (Javorník)\u003C\u002Fa> uranium mine, Czech Republic.","Jędrzej Pełka",2400,1800,{"id":272,"source_url":273,"license_code":254,"credit_html":274,"title":275,"description":276,"author":258,"original_width":277,"original_height":278},6046,"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=84650728","James St. John, via \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002F?curid=84650728\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons\u003C\u002Fa>","Zippeite (or natrozippeite) on coffinite (Section 35 Mine, Ambrosia Lake District, New Mexico, USA) (31186815032).jpg","\u003Cp>Zippeite (or natrozippeite) on coffinite in sandstone from New Mexico, USA. (Robert Lauf collection)\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties.  At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical.  Currently, there are over 5100 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common.  Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry.  Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The sample shown above consists of two radioactive minerals - black-colored coffinite and yellow-colored zippeite (or natrozippeite).\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Coffinite is a scarce uranium thorium hydroxysilicate mineral, (U,Th)(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x.  Both uranium and thorium are radioactive.  Coffinite is a primary uranium mineral and forms under non-oxidizing conditions - in such environments, the uranium is in the form of U+4 ions.  This sample is a sandstone from New Mexico that is richly impregnated with intergranular, black-colored coffinite.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The tiny yellow-colored crystals are zippeite or natrozippeite.  Both are uranyl sulfate minerals.  Zippeite is K3(UO2)4(SO4)2O3(OH)·3H2O - hydrous potassium uranyl hydroxy-oxy-sulfate.  Natrozippeite is the sodium equivalent, Na5(UO2)8(SO4)4O5(OH)3·12H2O.  These two species are secondary uranium minerals.  They form by alteration of uraninite (UO2) or other U- or V-bearing minerals.  Uranium-bearing minerals are soluble in water and acids.  Water percolating through uraniferous rocks will end up having dissolved U compounds.  These dissolved compounds precipitate elsewhere as secondary U minerals.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Stratigraphy of host rock: Westwater Canyon Sandstone Member, Morrison Formation, Upper Jurassic\n\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Locality: Section 35 Mine (a.k.a. Elizabeth Shaft), Ambrosia Lake Mining District (a.k.a. Ambrosia Lake area of the Grants Mining District), southeastern McKinley County, northwestern New Mexico, USA\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp>Photo gallery of coffinite:\n<a href=\"\u003Ca rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=1106\">http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=1106\u003C\u002Fa>\" rel=\"nofollow\">www.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=1106<\u002Fa>\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp>Photo gallery of zippeite:\n<a href=\"\u003Ca rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=4420\">http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=4420\u003C\u002Fa>\" rel=\"nofollow\">www.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=4420<\u002Fa>\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp>Photo gallery of natrozippeite:\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n<a href=\"\u003Ca rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=3694\">http:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=3694\u003C\u002Fa>\" rel=\"nofollow\">www.mindat.org\u002Fgallery.php?min=3694<\u002Fa>",1564,1512,[280],{"id":281,"url":282,"label":283,"formula":284,"spacegroup":285,"year":173},3053,"\u002Fcif\u002F3053.cif","Fuchs 1958","U Si O4","I 41\u002Fa m d",[],[288,292,296,300,303,306,310,314,318,322,326,329,332,338,341,346,349,353,358],{"lang":289,"names":290},"ca",[291],"coffinita",{"lang":293,"names":294},"de",[295],"Coffinit",{"lang":297,"names":298},"es",[299],"Coffinita",{"lang":301,"names":302},"eu",[299],{"lang":304,"names":305},"it",[7],{"lang":307,"names":308},"ja",[309],"コフィン石",{"lang":311,"names":312},"mk",[313],"Кофинит",{"lang":315,"names":316},"mn",[317],"Коффинит",{"lang":319,"names":320},"nb",[321],"coffinitt",{"lang":323,"names":324},"nl",[325],"Coffiniet",{"lang":327,"names":328},"nn",[321],{"lang":330,"names":331},"pl",[295],{"lang":333,"names":334},"pt",[299,335,336,337],"coffinite","cofinita","cofinite",{"lang":339,"names":340},"pt-br",[291,335,336,337],{"lang":342,"names":343},"ro",[344,345],"coffinit","hidroxisilicat de uraniu",{"lang":347,"names":348},"ru",[317],{"lang":350,"names":351},"th",[352],"คอฟฟินไนต์",{"lang":354,"names":355},"uk",[356,357],"Кофініт","Коффініт",{"lang":359,"names":360},"zh",[361],"铀石","Q423372",{"history":11,"applications":11}]