Uraninite

Uraninite is a radioactive uranium oxide mineral composed chiefly of UO₂, often with variable oxidation and impurities. It is the principal ore mineral of uranium.

Uranium dioxide: An inorganic compound with formula UO₂ and the dominant chemical component of uraninite. Uranium dioxide forms uraninite’s characteristic crystal structure.
Uranium oxidation: Chemical reactions in which uranium loses electrons, commonly changing from U(IV) to U(VI). Oxidation converts UO₂ in uraninite into more soluble uranium compounds.
Hydrothermal deposit: A mineral deposit formed when hot, chemically active fluids precipitate minerals in rock. Hydrothermal fluids can transport uranium and precipitate uraninite in fractures.
Uranium mining: The extraction of uranium-bearing ores or materials for industrial use. Uraninite is a major target mineral in uranium mining.
Coffinite: A uranium silicate mineral with ideal formula USiO₄, commonly found in uranium deposits. Coffinite contains silicate rather than the oxide framework characteristic of uraninite.
Uranium: A radioactive metallic chemical element with atomic number 92. Uranium is uraninite’s defining element and the source of its radioactivity.
Uranium mobility: The capacity of uranium to move through rocks, soils, and water in dissolved or particulate forms. Weathering and groundwater chemistry determine whether uranium leaves uraninite deposits.
Unconformity-type uranium deposit: A high-grade uranium deposit commonly localized near a boundary between sedimentary rocks and older basement rocks. Uraninite is a principal uranium mineral in many deposits of this type.
Nuclear fuel cycle: The series of processes that produce, use, and manage nuclear fuel and its materials. Uraninite ore supplies uranium that can enter the nuclear fuel cycle.
Brannerite: A uranium- and titanium-rich oxide mineral that occurs in some uranium deposits. Brannerite is another uranium ore mineral, but its titanium-rich composition differs from uraninite.

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