Fichtelite
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.
| Fichtelite | |
|---|---|
 Chemical structure of fichtelite | |
| General | |
| Category | Organic mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | C19H34 |
| Strunz classification | 10.BA.05 Hydrocarbons |
| Dana classification | 50.03.04.01 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | Sphenoidal (2) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | P21 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Colorless, white, pale yellow |
| Crystal habit | Elongated tabular crystals |
| Cleavage | Good on {001} and {100} |
| Mohs scale hardness | 1 |
| Luster | Greasy |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Specific gravity | 0.631 calculated[1] 1.032[2] |
| Optical properties | Biaxial |
| Melting point | 44.2 °C – 45.0 °C |
| References | [1][2][3] |
It was first described in 1841 and named for the location, Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria, Germany.[3] It has been reported from fossilized pine wood from a peat bog and in organic-rich modern marine sediments.[1]
References
- http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/fichtelite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
- http://webmineral.com/data/Fichtelite.shtml Webmineral data
- http://www.mindat.org/min-1545.html Mindat.org
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