Silpide

Silpide is a fictional mineral species used in educational contexts and science fiction narratives to illustrate mineral classification and crystallography. It is described as a complex silicate-sulfide mineral that serves as a model for discussing crystal structure, bonding, and mineral properties. The name silpide derives from silicon-related roots and the common mineral suffix -ide, following conventions used for other mineral names.

In this conceptual model, silpide is said to consist of a three-dimensional framework of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra linked by metal cations, with sulfide ions occupying interstitial sites within the lattice. The framework is imagined to form a dense, anhydrous structure with channels that can accommodate small anions. Crystallography is typically described as forming in a pseudo-hexagonal or monoclinic system, depending on the interpretation used in a given work.

Physical properties commonly attributed to silpide in fiction include a Mohs hardness of 5–6, a gray to blue-green color, and a vitreous to pearly luster. The streak is described as white, with a density in the range of 5.0–5.5 g/cm3. Cleavage and fracture are often depicted as imperfect and conchoidal, respectively, in educational illustrations.

Occurrence and formation narratives place silpide in ultramafic or hydrothermal environments on Earth in speculative settings, and in asteroid or planetary regoliths in spacefaring futures. In laboratories, it is sometimes presented as a synthesized model compound to demonstrate solid-state synthesis and diffraction techniques. Related topics include silicate minerals and crystallography.