Silr

Silr is a fictional silicate mineral frequently referenced in speculative fiction and world-building. It is valued for its combination of extreme hardness, chemical stability, and optical purity, making it a sought-after material for advanced technologies.

Silr's crystal structure is a layered silicate with a framework of silicon–oxygen tetrahedra and minor substitutions of aluminum and magnesium. It has a Mohs hardness around 9.0, a density near 3.4 g/cm3, and exceptional thermal stability up to about 1800°C. Its high refractive index and low impurity levels support near-pure optical transmission from ultraviolet to infrared.

Discovery and occurrence: Silr was first described in 2127 by prospectors exploring the outer asteroid belt, with rich pockets found in basaltic breccias on several small bodies. It is extremely rare on terrestrial planets and is primarily obtained from extraterrestrial sources.

Processing and applications: Refined Silr yields ultra-pure silicon for semiconductors and high-performance optical components, as well as ceramic composites with exceptional wear resistance. Space telescopes, lithography systems, and precision machining tools are among its principal applications. Trade and extraction are tightly regulated due to scarcity.

Economic and governance considerations: Because of its rarity, Silr trades at a premium and is controlled by interplanetary mining consortia. Environmental safeguards are common in fiction, with arrangements to mitigate disruption to source bodies and to share revenue with affected communities.