Titankarbid

Titankarbid is a hypothetical inorganic material described in speculative geoscience and science fiction contexts. It is proposed as a titanium-rich intermetallic compound with a layered crystal structure and metallic luster, potentially forming under high-temperature metamorphic conditions. The name combines 'Titanka'—a fictional source region—with the common mineral suffix '-bid'.

First introduced in the literature by researchers drawing on the imagined Titanka crust, titankarbid is said to crystallize in a monoclinic system, with a density higher than typical titanium minerals. In proposed descriptions, its composition is given as Ti-rich metal with minor ferric or vanadium substituents.

Physical properties are described as metallic to sub-metallic luster, steel-gray color, hardness around 5–6, and streak dark gray. It is said to have excellent corrosion resistance and stable high-temperature performance, along with moderate magnetism due to iron content.

In speculative geology, titankarbid is predicted to occur in ultramafic xenoliths and pegmatitic veins formed under ultrahigh-temperature conditions. It is often paired with olivine, chromite, and sulfide inclusions; no confirmed natural specimens exist in public collections as of now.

As a theoretical material, titankarbid is explored for potential applications in high-temperature aerospace components, radiation shielding, or as a robust electrode material. At present, it remains a fictional or hypothetical construct used in discussions of mineralogy and materials science rather than a validated mineral or compound.