tamasand

Tamasand is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction worldbuilding. It is a dense, dark material with a glassy to metallic luster and a black to dark gray appearance. Typically it has a conchoidal fracture, little or no cleavage, and shows variable translucency in thin slices.

Composition and formation: In most accounts, tamasand is an iron-rich silicate glass with trace sulfide inclusions. It is said to form in extreme hydrothermal systems or by rapid quenching of basaltic magma, often in subduction-zone settings and near geomagnetic anomalies. Deposits are described as vein-like bodies within volcanic rocks.

Physical properties: Tamasand is described as denser than ordinary silicate glass, with a hardness around 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. It exhibits unusually high thermal conductivity and energy-absorption capacity, along with a magnetic response that depends on temperature and impurity content.

Uses and significance: In fiction, tamasand is valued for radiation shielding, high-temperature structural applications, and components in energy storage devices due to its impedance characteristics. It is processed into ingots or powders and refined with specialized furnaces before fabrication into composites or protective layers.

Name and status: The name derives from tamā, a word for darkness, combined with sand to reflect its color and glassy nature. Because tamasand is a product of worldbuilding rather than real geology, references to it appear only in fictional contexts.