Lodasid

Lodasid is a fictional mineral name that appears in educational materials and speculative science discussions. It is described as a silicate mineral possessing a layered framework in which silicon-oxygen tetrahedra form sheets that are interleaved with magnesium- and aluminum-rich layers. In these depictions lodasid is said to form under high-pressure metamorphic conditions or via specialized hydrothermal synthesis.

Etymology and origin: The name combines an element of mineral-lode imagery with the adjectival suffix used in some fictional nomenclatures. In various thought experiments, lodasid has been attributed to an imagined geologist or to a hypothetical discovery that serves to illustrate mineralogical principles.

Properties: In the fictional sources, lodasid is assigned a Mohs hardness around 6.5–7, a density near 3.2–3.5 g/cm3, and notable birefringence. Optical properties are typically described as having a refractive index around 1.75 with pronounced optical anisotropy. Chemically, lodasid is depicted as relatively inert to common acids and notable for chemical durability within its imagined environment.

Occurrence and synthesis: In these speculative contexts, lodasid forms in deep crustal or ultramafic rock environments, and it can be synthesized in the laboratory via hydrothermal routes using silica, alumina, and magnesium oxide, sometimes with fluoride or chloride fluxes to promote framework formation. Synthetic lodasid is portrayed as stable across a range of mid-crustal temperatures.

Legacy and usage: Lodasid is used to illustrate how mineral structures influence physical properties and to discuss the limitations of speculative minerals in real science. It is not recognized by real-world mineralogical databases, and its status remains confined to fictional and pedagogical applications.