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Formula: CaV4+4O9.5H2O
Hydrated tetravanadite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.64 measured, 2.65 calculated
Hardness: 1
Streak: Brownish black
Colour: Black, greenish black
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Simplotite was named for John Richard Simplot, owner of the type locality. His primary company was a potato
processing company, in part providing McDonald's restaurants with fries, making Simplot a self-made billionaire.
Simplotite is a secondary mineral on fracture surfaces and replacing
fossil wood in Colorado Plateau-type uranium -
vanadium deposits. Associated minerals include
montroseite, duttonite,
melanovanadite, selenium,
uraninite, coffinite and
vanadiferous silicates
(HOM).
Localities
The type locality is the Peanut Mine, Bull Canyon, Montrose County, Colorado, USA.
Simplotite is a calcium tetravanadite that has been found in five
uranium - vanadium mines on the Colorado
Plateau. It occurs as dark-green micaceous plates and as hemispherical aggregates of plates, coating fracture surfaces in
sandstone impregnated by relatively unoxidised
vanadium and uranium minerals.
Simplotite represents an early stage in the oxidation sequence of the vanadium
ore. It is associated with duttonite,
melanovanadite, abundant crystals of hexagonal
native selenium, and an undescribed vanadium
oxide
(AM 43.16-24).
Other associated minerals include coffinite,
montroseite, native selenium and
uraninite
(Mindat).
Simploite from Colorado - Image
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