kirchhoffin

Kirchhoffin is a rare, naturally occurring mineral with the chemical formula K2UO2(SiO3)2O2H2O. It was first discovered in 1981 in the Green River Formation of Colorado, USA, and is named after the German physicist Gustav Kirchhoff, who made significant contributions to the field of spectroscopy. Kirchhoffin is a uranium silicate mineral, and its crystal structure is characterized by the presence of uranium in the +6 oxidation state, coordinated by oxygen atoms. The mineral is typically found in association with other uranium minerals, such as uraninite and coffinite. Kirchhoffin is of interest to mineralogists and geochemists due to its unique chemical composition and the role it plays in the geochemical cycling of uranium. However, due to its rarity and the health risks associated with uranium, kirchhoffin is not typically mined or used in industry.