Idrialite

Idrialin ( Idrialit, Curtisit, mercury Branderz ) is a rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of organic compounds. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with the chemical composition C22H14 and usually develops massive aggregates, but also translucent, flaky crystals of greenish yellow to light brown in color and glassy luster to diamantenem. Even colorless Idrialine are known.

Special Features

It is soluble in concentrated hot sulfuric acid with deep indigo blue color. On combustion or distillation there is a scaly pale yellow distillate product, the impurities as a brown- red ash remain. Under UV light shows strong fluorescence, with independent of the wavelength blue, orange, yellow, or green-white fluorescence is generated.

Etymology and history

Was first found Idrialin 1832 in the " Idria Mine" ( Idrija mine ) in Idrija / Slovenia and described by Jean Baptiste Dumas.

The official name of the mineral refers to its type locality. The synonymous designation mercury Branderz it was due to the property to be flammable and because it could be extracted from the fossils found in Idrija, mercury-containing.

Classification

In the old classification of minerals according to Strunz (8th Edition) Idrialin heard yet widely Department of ' nitrogen hydrocarbons outdoors ". The revision of the Strunz'schen Mineral classification in the 9th edition of the mineral has been moved to the yet unnamed subdivision " 10.BA " the Department of " hydrocarbons".

The classification of minerals according to Dana sorted the Idrialin in the department of " salts of organic acids and hydrocarbons ."

Education and Locations

The exact formation conditions, there are only assumptions, which state that Idrialin produced by pyrolysis of organic material in the vicinity of hot springs or hydrothermal solutions. Accompanying minerals include cinnabar, pyrite, gypsum, quartz, Metacinnabarit and realgar. Together with Opal Idrialin has only been found at Skaggs Springs in California (USA).

Apart from its type locality Idrija Idrialin has been proven worldwide still at 11 other localities (as of 2009): In Gap ( Hautes- Alpes) in France; Mernik and Červenica in Slovakia; Olenjowo ( Olenevo ) / Transcarpathia in Ukraine; and in the Mayacmas Mountains in Lake County, Idria in San Benito County, San Francisco ( in the same county ), Skaggs Springs, Sonoma County and Knoxville in Yolo County of the U.S. state of California.

Crystal structure

Idrialin crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, but the exact space group is not known. The lattice parameters a = 8.07 Å be; b = 6.42 Å and c = 27.75 Å with four formula units per unit cell.