WEATHERING OF NATURAL URANYL OXIDE HYDRATES - SCHOEPITE POLYTYPES AND DEHYDRATION EFFECTS

Partial dehydration of schoepite, UO3 . 2H2O, is reported to produce three discrete schoepite polytypes with characteristic unit cell parameters, but this has not been confirmed. The loss of structural water from the schoepite interlayer results in progressive modification to the structure; expansion parallel to schoepite cleavage planes, and extensive fracturing. Dehydration of schoepite commences at grain boundaries and progresses inward until the entire grain is converted to dehydrated schoepite, UO3 . 0.8H2O. The volume decrease associated with dehydration results in expanded grain boundaries. These gaps can provide pathways for the access of groundwater, and uranyl silicates and uranyl carbonates have precipitated within these gaps, replacing both schoepite and dehydrated schoepite. Schoepite, however, is not observed to re-precipitate where in contact with dehydrated schoepite. Thus, while the formation of schoepite early during the corrosion of uraninite may be favored, schoepite is not a long-term solubility limiting phase for oxidized uranium in natural ground waters containing dissolved silica or carbonate.