Fichtelite

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Fichtelite
18-norabietane.svg
Chemical structure of fichtelite
General
Category Organic mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
C19H34
IMA symbol Fic [1]
Strunz classification 10.BA.05
Hydrocarbons
Dana classification50.03.04.01
Crystal system Monoclinic
Crystal class Sphenoidal (2)
(same H-M symbol)
Space group P21
Identification
ColorColorless, white, pale yellow
Crystal habit Elongated tabular crystals
Cleavage Good on {001} and {100}
Mohs scale hardness1
Luster Greasy
Streak White
Diaphaneity Transparent
Specific gravity 0.631 calculated [2] 1.032 [3]
Optical propertiesBiaxial
Melting point 44.2 °C – 45.0 °C
References [2] [3] [4]

Fichtelite is a rare white mineral found in fossilized wood from Bavaria. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system. It is a cyclic hydrocarbon: dimethyl-isopropyl-perhydrophenanthrene, C19H34. It is very soft with a Mohs hardness of 1, the same as talc. Its specific gravity is very low at 1.032, just slightly denser than water.

It was first described in 1841 and named for the location, Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria, Germany. [4] It has been reported from fossilized pine wood from a peat bog and in organic-rich modern marine sediments. [2]

Related Research Articles

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Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral, Cu26Fe4Ge4S32. It was first discovered in 1922, and named for its germanium content. It is only a minor source of this important semiconductor element, which is mainly derived from the processing of the zinc sulfide mineral sphalerite. Germanite contains gallium, zinc, molybdenum, arsenic, and vanadium as impurities.

Zinkenite Sulfosalt mineral

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Tephroite

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Tetradymite

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Tusionite Yellow brown borate mineral

Tusionite is a rare colorless to transparent to translucent yellow brown trigonal borate mineral with chemical formula: MnSn(BO3)2. The mineral is composed of 18.86% manganese, 40.76% tin, 7.42% boron, and 32.96% oxygen. It is a late stage hydrothermal mineral and occurs rarely in granite pegmatites in miarolitic cavities.

Warwickite

Warwickite is an iron magnesium titanium borate mineral with the chemical formula (MgFe)3Ti(O, BO3)2orMg(Ti,Fe3+, Al)(BO3)O. It occurs as brown to black prismatic orthorhombic crystals which are vitreous and transparent. It has a Mohs hardness of 3 to 4 and a specific gravity of 3.36.

Babingtonite

Babingtonite is a calcium iron manganese inosilicate mineral with the formula Ca2(Fe,Mn)FeSi5O14(OH). It is unusual in that iron(III) completely replaces the aluminium so typical of silicate minerals. It is a very dark green to black translucent (in thin crystals or splinters) mineral crystallizing in the triclinic system with typically radial short prismatic clusters and druzy coatings. It occurs with zeolite minerals in cavities in volcanic rocks. Babingtonite contains both iron(II) and iron(III) and shows weak magnetism. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6 and a specific gravity of 3.3.

Cerite Silicate mineral group containing cerium

Cerite is a complex silicate mineral group containing cerium, formula (Ce,La,Ca)
9
(Mg,Fe3+
)(SiO
4
)
6
(SiO
3
OH)(OH)
3
. The cerium and lanthanum content varies with the Ce rich species and the La rich species. Analysis of a sample from the Mountain Pass carbonatite gave 35.05% Ce
2
O
3
and 30.04% La
2
O
3
.

Beryllonite

Beryllonite is a rare sodium beryllium phosphate mineral with formula NaBePO4. The tabular to prismatic monoclinic crystals vary from colorless to white or pale yellowish, and are transparent with a vitreous luster. Twinning is common and occurs in several forms. It exhibits perfect cleavage in one direction. The hardness is 5.5 to 6 and the specific gravity is 2.8. Refractive indices are nα = 1.552, nβ = 1.558 and nγ = 1.561. A few crystals have been cut and faceted, but, as the refractive index is no higher than that of quartz, they do not make very brilliant gemstones.

Alloclasite ( AsS) is a sulfosalt mineral. It is a member of the arsenopyrite group. Alloclasite crystallizes in the monoclinic system and typically forms as columnar to radiating acicular prismatic clusters. It is an opaque steel-gray to silver-white, with a metallic luster and a black streak. It is brittle with perfect cleavage, a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 5.91–5.95.

Thomasclarkite-(Y)

Thomasclarkite-(Y) is a rare mineral which was known as UK-93 until 1997, when it was renamed in honour of Thomas H. Clark (1893–1996), McGill University professor. The mineral is one of many rare-earth element minerals from Mont Saint-Hilaire. The only reported occurrence is in an alkalic pegmatite dike in an intrusive gabbro-nepheline syenite.

Vulcanite is a rare copper telluride mineral. The mineral has a metallic luster, and has a green or bronze-yellow tint. It has a hardness between 1 and 2 on the Mohs scale. Its crystal structure is orthorhombic.

Brownleeite is a silicide mineral with chemical formula MnSi. It was discovered by researchers of the Johnson Space Center in Houston while analyzing the Pi Puppid particle shower of the comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup. The only other known natural manganese silicide is mavlyanovite, Mn5Si3.

Ancylite Group of hydrous strontium carbonate minerals

Ancylite is a group of hydrous strontium carbonate minerals containing cerium, lanthanum and minor amounts of other rare-earth elements. The composition is Sr(Ce,La)(CO3)2(OH)·H2O with ancylite-Ce enriched in cerium and ancylite-La in lanthanum.

Kegelite

Kegelite is a complex silicate mineral with formula Pb8Al4Si8O20(SO4)2(CO3)4(OH)8.

Kaersutite Calcic titanium bearing amphibole mineral

Kaersutite is a dark brown to black double chain calcic titanium bearing amphibole mineral with formula: NaCa2(Mg3Ti4+Al)(Si6Al2)O22(OH)2.

Danalite

Danalite is an iron beryllium silicate sulfide mineral with formula: Fe2+4Be3(SiO4)3S.

Fluellite

Fluellite is a mineral with the chemical formula Al2(PO4)F2(OH)•7H2O. The name is from its chemical composition, being a fluate of alumine (French).

Corkite Phosphate mineral in the beudantite subgroup of the alunite group

Corkite is a phosphate mineral in the beudantite subgroup of the alunite group. Corkite is the phosphate analogue of beudantite and with it, a complete solid solution range exists. Corkite will also form a solid solution with kintoreite.

Wampenite is a rare organic mineral with the formula C18H16, found in Wampen, Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria, Germany.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID   235729616.
  2. 1 2 3 http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/fichtelite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. 1 2 http://webmineral.com/data/Fichtelite.shtml Webmineral data
  4. 1 2 http://www.mindat.org/min-1545.html Mindat.org