Ore Microscopy of Uranium Minerals

Abstract

Although the economically important uranium minerals are difficult to recognize under the ore microscope, they can be identified by a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Useful quantitative techniques include indentation hardness, percent reflectance, spectral reflectance curves, and color coordinates. The latter two properties are especially distinctive for the primary uraniferous minerals uraninite, coffinite, brannerlte, and davidite. Together with the quantitative properties of indentation hardness and reflectance, the character and color of internal reflections are distinctive for many of the secondary uranium minerals. Ore microscopic techniques also provide an excellent means for determining the intergrowths of these minerals with other ore and gangue minerals. Such intergrowths are important to an understanding of the genesis of uranium deposits, and they may be important to uranium extractions.

Meeting Name

Symposium on Process Mineralogy (1981: Feb., Chicago, IL)

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Color Coordinates; Indentation Hardness; Intergrowth; Microscopic Examination; Reflectance; Mineralogy

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

0895203790

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1981 American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Feb 1981

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