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Minerals, Metals, and Other Materials

Rocks and Minerals

What is pitchblende?

Pitchblende is a massive variety of uraninite, or uranium oxide, found in metallic veins. It is a radioactive material and the most important ore of uranium. In 1898, Marie (1867–1934) and Pierre (1859–1906) Curie discovered that pitchblende contained radium, a rare element that has since been used in medicine and the sciences.