Contribution à l'étude de la distribution des minéraux uranifères au Sud-Shaba (Zaïre)

Abstract

On a chemical basis uranium minerals identified in uranium occurrences of Southern Shaba (formerly Katanga) are subdivided into four groups: 1. -Oxides and uranates 2. -Silicates 3. -Phosphates 4. -and Carbonates Oxides and uranates represented respectively by uraninite, becquerelite, billietite, curite and vandendriesscheite constitute 16 per cent of all samples. Uranylsilicates, namely: uranophane, cuprosklodowskite, sklodowskite and soddyite are by far the most common species representing almost 59 per cent of the inventory. While the uranylphosphates: meta-autunite, metatorbernite and dumontite have been identified in 23 per cent of samples. The three mineral groups seem to have a fairly good distribution in the uranium occurrences of the Shaban Copperbelt. Further, the uranylcarbonates relatively uncommon (2 per cent), represented by rutherfordine, have been encountered only at Kalongwe and Shinkolobwe. Uranates constitute the first products of the alteration of uranium oxides, followed by uranylsilicates and finally by uranylphosphates.