Tyler L. Spano

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Peter C. Burns

University of Notre Dame

Antonio Simonetti

University of Notre Dame

Enrica Balboni

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Travis A. Olds

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Corinne Dorais

University of Notre Dame

Peter K. M. Megaw

Jiangxi Copper (China)

Robert G. Smith

Ormond (United States)

Andrew Miskowiec

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Ashley E. Shields

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Roger Kapsimalis

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Cooperative Institutions

University of Notre Dame

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Government of the United States of America

Oak Ridge Associated Universities

ORCID

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Natural History Museum

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Nantes Université

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Sonochemical oxidation and stabilization of liquid elemental mercury in water and soil

Journal of Hazardous Materials (2022)

Hongxia Du Xin Gu Alexander Johs Xiangping Yin Tyler L. Spano

Polysulfide

Oxidizing agent

Mercury

Sonication

Volatilisation

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130589

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Citations (2)

Rare-earth element fractionation in uranium ore and its U(VI) alteration minerals

Applied Geochemistry (2017)

Enrica Balboni Antonio Simonetti Tyler L. Spano Nathaniel D. Cook Peter C. Burns

Uraninite

Rare-earth element

10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.10.007

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Citations (26)

Multivariate Analysis Based on Geochemical, Isotopic, and Mineralogical Compositions of Uranium-Rich Samples

Minerals (2019)

Loretta Corcoran Antonio Simonetti Tyler L. Spano Stefanie R. Lewis Corinne Dorais

The chemical and isotopic (U, Pb, Sr) signatures for a suite (n = 23) of pristine (>80 wt. % UO2) and altered uraninite samples (>70–80 wt. % UO2) from various locations worldwide have been determined for the purpose of identifying potential fingerprints for nuclear forensic analysis. The characterization of the uraninite samples included determination of major, minor and trace element contents, Sr, Pb, and U isotopic compositions, and secondary mineral assemblages. Due to the multivariate approach adopted in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed to allow the direct comparison of multiple variable types. The PCA results indicate that the geological origin (sandstone, metamorphite, intrusive, granite and unconformity) of pristine uraninite can be readily identified utilizing various combinations of major and/or trace element concentrations with isotopic compositions.

Uraninite

Trace element

10.3390/min9090537

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Citations (17)

Trace element and U isotope analysis of uraninite and ore concentrate: Applications for nuclear forensic investigations

Applied Geochemistry (2017)

Tyler L. Spano Antonio Simonetti Enrica Balboni Corinne Dorais Peter C. Burns

Uraninite

Trace element

Uranium ore

Rare-earth element

10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.07.003

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Citations (68)

Geology and Mineralogy of Electric Opal^TM: Green Daylight-Luminescing Hyalite Opal from Zacatecas, Mexico

Rocks & Minerals (2018)

Peter K. M. Megaw Emmanuel Fritsch Tyler L. Spano Michael R. Gray

In October 2013, five weathered specimens of botryoidal opal rough showing moderate green daylight luminescence were received from Ruben Avila (Gemimex), well-known El Paso-Juarez based importer of...

Daylight

10.1080/00357529.2018.1477007

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Citations (5)

A novel nuclear forensic tool involving deposit type normalized rare earth element signatures

Terra Nova (2017)

Tyler L. Spano Antonio Simonetti Thomas M. Wheeler Grace Carpenter Devonee Freet

Abstract Identifying the provenance of uranium‐rich materials is a critical objective of nuclear forensic analysis. Rare earth element ( REE ) distributions within uranium ores are well‐established forensic indicators, but quantifying and correlating trace element signatures for U ores to known deposits has thus far involved intricate statistical analyses. This study reports average chondrite normalized ( CN )‐ REE signatures for important U deposit types worldwide, which are then employed to evaluate U ore paragenesis using a simple linear regression analysis. This technique provides a straightforward method that can aid in determining the deposit type of U ores based on their REE abundances, and combined with other forensic indicators (e.g. radiogenic isotope signatures) can provide essential provenance information for nuclear materials.

Radiogenic nuclide

Rare-earth element

Paragenesis

Uranium ore

Trace element

10.1111/ter.12275

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Citations (27)

Thermodynamic investigation of uranyl vanadate minerals: Implications for structural stability

American Mineralogist (2017)

Tyler L. Spano Ewa A. Dzik Melika Sharifironizi M. K. Dustin Madison Turner

Understanding the crystal chemistry, materials properties, and thermodynamics of uranyl minerals and their synthetic analogs is an essential step for predicting and controlling the long-term environmental behavior of uranium. Uranyl vanadate minerals are relatively insoluble and widely disseminated within U ore deposits and mine and mill tailings. Pure uranyl vanadate mineral analogs were synthesized for investigation using high-temperature drop solution calorimetry. Calculated standard-state enthalpies of formation were found to be −4928.52 ± 13.90, −5748.81 ± 13.59, and −6402.88 ± 21.01, kJ/mol for carnotite, curienite, and francevillite, respectively. Enthalpies of formation from binary oxides for uranyl vanadate minerals exhibit a positive linear correlation as a function of the acidity of oxides. Normalized charge deficiency per anion (NCDA) is presented to relate bonding requirements of the structural units and interstitial complexes. An exponential correlation was observed between NCDA and energetic stability (enthalpy of formation from binary oxides) for the studied minerals. Additionally, NCDA and oxide acidity exhibit an exponential correlation where decreasing oxide acidity results in an exponential decrease in NCDA. The number of occurrences of uranyl vanadate mineral species are found to correlate with both enthalpy of formation from oxides and NCDA.

Uranyl

Vanadate

Thermochemical cycle

Chemical Stability

Oxide minerals

10.2138/am-2017-5894

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Citations (21)

CURIES: Compendium of uranium Raman and infrared experimental spectra

American Mineralogist (2023)

Tyler L. Spano Travis A. Olds Marshall McDonnell Robert G. Smith J. L. Niedziela

Abstract Identification of radioactive materials is a critical goal of resource exploration, basic actinide science, and nuclear forensics, and we provide here new insights toward rapid, nondestructive analysis of uranium-containing minerals and technogenic phases. Raman and infrared spectroscopic data are powerful indicators of solid-phase U(VI) coordination chemistry. In addition, U(VI) minerals exhibit high chemical and structural diversity as artifacts of geochemical processes leading to ore formation. Spectral signals of axial UO22+ (U-Oyl) bond lengths and the influences of additional oxyanions on these values are well documented for uranium oxide and oxysalt minerals and technogenic phases. Additional insight regarding the underlying crystallographic structure and chemical composition of uranium materials can be extracted through a survey of all available Raman spectroscopic data for these phases. To this end, we have developed the Compendium of Uranium Raman and Infrared Experimental Spectra (CURIES). CURIES was compiled via a thorough review of literature and databases, and for mineral species that lack measured and recorded spectra, data were obtained either from museum and academic collections or by direct syntheses. Characteristic Raman spectroscopic features for subgroups of uranyl minerals within CURIES were elucidated using multivariate statistical analyses. In addition, average spectra for groups of uranyl minerals were determined, providing insight into common spectroscopic characteristics that are indicative of the structural origins from which they arise. As of publication, 275 mineral species and technogenic phases have been entered in CURIES, and of these, 83 phases have published spectra that have been included in the CURIES database. Data collection is ongoing, and we have triaged missing data sets to assess CURIES for completion and to identify mineral groups that lack representation and should therefore be prioritized for data acquisition and inclusion in the database.

Uranyl

10.2138/am-2022-8738

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Citations (5)

Raman spectroscopic investigation of selected natural uranyl sulfate minerals

American Mineralogist (2023)

Tyler L. Spano Travis A. Olds Marshall McDonnell Robert G. Smith Ashley E. Shields

Abstract Uranyl sulfates are important constituents of uranium ores and represent a significant fraction of U(VI) minerals discovered in recent years owing to their propensity to form in mine tailings and legacy sites related to uranium exploration. Recently, we surveyed all published Raman spectra for uranium minerals and found significantly less easily accessible data available for uranyl sulfates relative to other groups of uranium minerals (Spano et al. 2023). In that work, we described average spectra for groups of uranyl minerals to understand common vibrational spectroscopic features attributable to similarities in oxyanion chemistry among U(VI) minerals, but only data for three uranyl sulfate minerals were included in the study. The present work reports on Raman spectra collected for 18 additional uranyl sulfate minerals. To better understand underlying structural and chemical features that give rise to spectroscopic observables, we relate differences in structural topology, charge-balancing cations, and locality of origin to features observed in the Raman spectra of selected natural uranyl sulfates.

Uranyl

Uranium ore

10.2138/am-2023-8932

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Citations (1)

Leesite, K(H2O)2[(UO2)4O2(OH)5]·3H2O, a new K-bearing schoepite-family mineral from the Jomac mine, San Juan County, Utah, U.S.A.

American Mineralogist (2017)

Travis A. Olds Jakub Plášil Anthony R. Kampf Tyler L. Spano Patrick E. Haynes

Leesite (IMA2016-064), K(H2O)2[(UO2)4O2(OH)5]·3H2O, is a new uranyl-oxide hydroxyl-hydrate found underground in the Jomac mine, Brown's Rim, White Canyon mining district, San Juan County, Utah. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses provided the empirical formula K0.67Na0.004Ca0.012U4O20H15.31, based on 4 U and 20 O apfu. Sheets in the crystal structure of leesite adopt the fourmarierite anion topology, and so belong to the schoepite family of related structures that differ in the interlayer composition and arrangement, and charge of the sheet. Leesite may form as one of the principal components of "gummite" mixtures formed during the alteration of uraninite, and the unit cell of leesite resembles the previously described, but poorly understood mineral, paraschoepite. Uptake of dangerous radionuclides (90Sr, 135Cs, 137Cs, 237Np, 238Pu) into the structure of leesite and other members of the family has important implications for the safe disposal of nuclear waste.

Uranyl

10.2138/am-2018-6083

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Citations (11)