As we push back on May and head into June a final quick blog with 2 bits of new information.
A new mineral, IMA approved pending publication due.
Nollmotzite is the first naturally occurring uranium, uranyl oxide mineral that contains fluorine.
The twinned uranium structure of the new mineral was refined from X-ray diffraction data and was found to contain fluorine and pentavalent uranium.
The presence of uranium(V) also appears to indicate the reduction conditions under which the mineral formed.
The structure has been defined Plasil et al., however previously comparable material was analysed by Joy Desor's laboratory and identified as a new mineral using SEM-EDS analysis.
The mineral samples are from Clara Mine, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the type locality.
The mineral name is given for two people, German collectors Noller and Motzigemba.
We have recently enrolled Roger to research and write blogs and articles for e-Rocks.
Roger has been an avid blogger for some time and has written a book - The Ernest Glitch Chronicles.
I came across Roger through his occasional posts on Mindat and soon tracked him down to his Lateral Science website.
As they say "the rest is history" and Roger has been preparing a number of new mineralogical articles for weekly publication here, starting tomorrow.
Here is a short bio about Roger
A science enthusiast. I'm into chemistry, high energy phenomena, mineralogy, electronics and writing science fiction.
Until recently I worked in a factory producing robot lawnmowers, as an assembly worker. I've been employed as an electronics engineer both in England and California. I won the "Young Engineer for Britain" competition in 1977, with an electrostatic generator. I invented the inertial dynamometer, patent application link here.
My hobbies included exploring old mines and climbing volcanoes, until my heart started playing-up. I've had a website/blog - "Lateral Science", since 2002. I've written a novel, "The Ernest Glitch Chronicles", published on Kindle.
I have been collecting minerals since I was 6 years old, way back in the sixties. I've a shed-load of them.
Mineralogy sparked my lifelong interest in science. I live in the North East of England, so my collecting has been mostly in Weardale.
A highlight of my mineral interest was surviving several very hazardous collecting trips inside Heights Mine, long ago. My favourite location to visit is the Aeolian Islands, particularly Vulcano. I have also panned gold in Scotland, California and Australia.
We hope you enjoy reading the articles!
By the way - if you are reading this and want to contribute articles/blogs to e-Rocks please drop us a line, [email protected] - depending on the the circumstances we are happy sponsor your work if applicable.
