Chernobylite
Encyclopedia
Chernobylite is a technogenic mineral
, a crystalline zirconium silicate with high (up to 10%) content of uranium
as a solid solution. It is black and yellow. It was discovered in the corium
produced in the Chernobyl accident, a lava
-like glass
y material formed in a nuclear meltdown
of a reactor core. Chernobylite is highly radioactive due to its high uranium
content and contamination by fission products.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
, a crystalline zirconium silicate with high (up to 10%) content of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
as a solid solution. It is black and yellow. It was discovered in the corium
Corium (nuclear reactor)
Corium, also called fuel containing material or lava-like fuel containing material , is a lava-like molten mixture of portions of nuclear reactor core, formed during a nuclear meltdown, the most severe class of a nuclear reactor accident...
produced in the Chernobyl accident, a lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
-like glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
y material formed in a nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
of a reactor core. Chernobylite is highly radioactive due to its high uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
content and contamination by fission products.