Becquerelite

Oxide mineral

Becquerelite is a uranium mineral with the chemical formula: Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O). It is a secondary mineral which contains calcium and is a bright yellow colour. It has a Mohs hardness of about 2.

It was named after the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852–1908), who discovered radioactivity in 1896. Becquerelite contains about 70% uranium by weight.

It is mainly mined in Kasolo of the former Zaire , in the present day Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Identification

Mohs scale ( mineral hardness )

2.5

Density ( specific gravity )

1.725

1.815

1.825

Crystal ( diaphaneity )

Orthorhombic