pushfaktorite

Pushfaktorite is a hypothetical aluminosilicate mineral commonly used in geology education and speculative crystallography to illustrate how silicate frameworks respond to tectonic stress. It has no confirmed occurrence in natural rocks and is not recognized as a real mineral by major authorities such as the International Mineralogical Association.

Its name reflects the concept of push factors in tectonics, highlighting the role of internal stresses in model silicate structures. In teaching materials, pushfaktorite is often presented as a flexible framework that accommodates variable cation content to simulate diffusion and deformation under pressure.

Composition and structure: In pedagogical descriptions, pushfaktorite is an alkali-rich aluminosilicate with a three-dimensional tetrahedral framework of SiO4 and AlO4 units. Alkali and alkaline-earth cations occupy channels and interstitial sites to balance charge, allowing ion mobility in simulations. Models commonly place pushfaktorite in the monoclinic system, space group C2/m, though actual structures vary in computer illustrations.

Physical properties: In these models, pushfaktorite is described as colorless to pale yellow with a vitreous luster, Mohs hardness about 5.5–6, and density around 2.9–3.1 g/cm3. Cleavage is imperfect or absent; fracture is conchoidal. Refractive index is typically modeled around 1.52–1.58.

Occurrence and use: Pushfaktorite is used in textbooks, interactive simulations, and crystal-structure tutorials to demonstrate pressure-induced deformation, diffusion in framework channels, and the concept of polytypism in silicates. It has no practical industrial application as a natural mineral and serves primarily as an instructional tool or a component in thought experiments.