Durikrustin

Durikrustin is a fictional mineral used in geology education and speculative fiction to illustrate mineral identification and crystallography. It is not known to exist in nature.

In these contexts, durikrustin is described as a hydrated aluminosilicate-oxide with a layered framework. The general composition is (Al,Fe)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·nH2O. It crystallizes in monoclinic or tetragonal systems, with sheets of corner-sharing tetrahedra connected by octahedral metal-oxide layers, forming a two-dimensional network. Interlayer cations balance charge and influence color and cleavage.

Hardness is described as 6–7 on the Mohs scale; density about 2.9–3.2 g/cm3; and a vitreous to silky luster. Colors range from pale yellow to brown, with occasional rusty tint. It exhibits conchoidal to imperfect cleavage and may show weak pleochroism in polarized light. Thermal stability is depicted up to around 900°C in simulations.

Occurrence and synthesis: In fiction and teaching, durikrustin is said to form during hydrothermal alteration of aluminosilicate precursors or metamorphism of clay-rich rocks. Laboratory synthesis is depicted as hydrothermal crystallization or solid-state reaction at elevated temperature and pressure using aluminum and silicon sources and an alkali flux.

Uses and significance: As a pedagogical stand-in, it aids mineral identification, X-ray diffraction pattern interpretation, and thermodynamic reasoning. In speculative fiction, it is sometimes portrayed as a durable ceramic or decorative mineral with heat-related color changes.