| Xiangjiangite | |
| Category: | Phosphate minerals |
| Formula: | (Fe3+, Al)(UO2)4(PO4)2(SO4)2(OH)·22(H2O) |
| Imasymbol: | Xjg[1] |
| Unit Cell: | 1,142.31 |
| Molweight: | 453.91 g/mol |
| Strunz: | 8.EB.05 |
| System: | Tetragonal Unknown space group |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Habit: | Microscopic crystals; Platy |
| Mohs: | 1–2 |
| Luster: | Silky |
| Refractive: | nα = 1.558 nβ = 1.576 nγ = 1.593 |
| Opticalprop: | Biaxial(−) |
| Birefringence: | 0.035 |
| 2V: | 87 |
| Dispersion: | Weak |
| Pleochroism: | Weak |
| Streak: | Light yellow |
| Gravity: | 3.47 |
| Diaphaneity: | Semitransparent |
| References: | [2] [3] [4] |
Xiangjiangite is a phosphate mineral discovered near and named for the Xiang Jiang River in China. It was approved by the IMA in 1978, and was named after its locality.[5]
Xiangjiangite is a pleochroic mineral, which is an optical phenomenon, meaning that depending on the axis it is viewed on, it appears as it changes colors. On both the X and Y axis, it can be seen in a yellow color, while on the Z axis it appears to be weak yellow color. This mineral is very strongly radioactive, and has a 3,845,084.01 radioactivity measured in GRapi.
It mainly consists of uranium (49.67%) and oxygen (39.23%), but otherwise contains sulphur (3.35%), phosphorus (3.23%), hydrogen (2.37%), iron (1.46%) and aluminum (0.70%).