Fermiite is a rare uranium mineral with the formula Na<sub>4</sub>(UO<sub>2</sub>)(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>÷3H<sub>2</sub>O. Chemically related minerals include oppenheimerite, meisserite (which is also structurally-related to fermiite), belakovskiite, natrozippeite and plÃ¡à ¡ilite. Fermiite comes from the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA, which is known for many rare uranium minerals. The name honors Enrico Fermi (1901âÂÂ1954).
Fermiite is closely associated with numerous other sulfate minerals: oppenheimerite, bluelizardite, wetherillite, blödite, manganoblödite, chalcanthite, epsomite, gypsum, hexahydrite, kröhnkite, sideronatrite and tamarugite.
The main building block of the crystal structure of fermiite is a chain of the composition (UO<sub>2</sub>)(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>. Chains are connected with five types of Na-O polyhedra.