Arrheniusta

Arrheniusta is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction worldbuilding. The name honors the 19th-century physicist Svante Arrhenius, reflecting themes of thermodynamics and reaction kinetics that appear in its proposed formation processes.

Physically, Arrheniusta is depicted as a layered crystalline solid with a hexagonal system. In cut sections it presents tabular crystals ranging from a few tenths of a millimeter to over a millimeter, and a pale iridescent to steel-blue color with a vitreous to pearly luster. Mohs hardness is described as 4–5, with perfect cleavage along the basal plane.

Chemically, the material is described as a mixed-anion layered compound, often written in fiction with a generalized formula A2B2S4O2, where A is a divalent metal (for example iron or nickel) and B is a trivalent metal (such as aluminum or chromium). The layers are said to alternate conductive and insulating blocks, giving Arrheniusta anisotropic electrical properties in some narratives.

Occurrence and synthesis: In the stories, Arrheniusta forms in high-temperature hydrothermal systems in ultramafic or metamorphic rocks and can also be produced synthetically in laboratories via solid-state reactions at elevated temperatures and controlled atmospheres.

Applications: Proposals in literature include use as a catalyst, in energy storage devices, or as a ceramic with enhanced thermal management properties, though no real-world deployment exists outside fiction.

History: The mineral is said to have been first described in 2124 by researchers in a fictional Global Mineral Institute; the name Arrheniusta was chosen to evoke thermodynamic themes and to honor Arrhenius.