Idrialite

Idrialite
	Idrialite, Skaggs Springs Mine, Sonoma County, California (size: 6.3 x 4.1 x 1.8 cm
General
Category	Organic mineral
Formula; (repeating unit)	C22H14
Strunz classification	10.BA.20
Dana classification	50.03.08.01
Crystal system	Orthorhombic ; Unknown space group
Unit cell	a = 8.07, b = 6.42 ; c = 27.75 [Å]; Z = 4
Identification
Color	Greenish yellow, light brown, colorless
Cleavage	{001}, perfect; {100}, poor
Fracture	Conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness	1.5
Luster	Vitreous to adamantine
Specific gravity	1.236
Optical properties	Biaxial (+)
Refractive index	nα= 1.557 nβ = 1.734 nγ = 2.07
Pleochroism	X = pale yellow; Y = Z = yellow
2V angle	84°
Ultraviolet fluorescence	Short UV=blue, orange, yellow, green white
References	[1][2]

Idrialite, or idrialine, is a soft, orthorhombic hydrocarbon mineral with chemical formula: C₂₂H₁₄.[1][2] It is usually greenish yellow to light brown in color with bluish fluorescence.

Raman spectroscopy studies indicate that it may be a mixture of complex hydrocarbons including benzonaphthothiophenes (chemical formula: C₁₆H₁₀S) and dinaphthothiophenes (chemical formula: C₂₀H₁₂S).[3]

It has historically also been known as branderz, idrialine, and inflammable cinnabar due to its combustibility.[4] When distilled, it produces the mineral wax idrialin.[5][6]

Discovery and occurrence

It was first described in 1832 for an occurrence in the Idrija region west of Ljubljana, northwestern Slovenia.[2] It also occurs at Skaggs Springs, Sonoma County, western Lake County and the Knoxville Mine in Napa County, California.[1] It has also been reported from localities in France, Slovakia and Ukraine.[2]

It can be found mixed with clay, pyrite, quartz and gypsum associated with cinnabar in the Idrija occurrence and with metacinnabar, realgar and opal in the Skaggs Spring location.[1]

References

Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (eds.). "Idrialite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Chantilly, VA: Mineralogical Society of America. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
Barthelmy, Dave. "Idrialite Mineral Data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
Frank, Otakar; Jehlička, Jan; Edwards, Howell G.M. (December 2007). "Raman spectroscopy as tool for the characterization of thio-polyaromatic hydrocarbons in organic minerals". Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy. 68 (4): 1065–1069. doi:10.1016/j.saa.2006.12.033.
Egleston, Thomas (1889). Catalogue of Minerals and Synonyms. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 83.
Thomson, Thomas (1838). Chemistry of Organic Bodies: Vegetables. Maclachlan & Stewart. p. 748.
Goldschmidt, G. (1879). Watts, Henry (ed.). Journal of the Chemical Society. The Chemical Society of Great Britain. p. 167.

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[HBM-1] Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (eds.). "Idrialite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Chantilly, VA: Mineralogical Society of America. Retrieved 12 September 2017.

[Mindat-2] Barthelmy, Dave. "Idrialite Mineral Data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 12 September 2017.

[Frank-3] Frank, Otakar; Jehlička, Jan; Edwards, Howell G.M. (December 2007). "Raman spectroscopy as tool for the characterization of thio-polyaromatic hydrocarbons in organic minerals". Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy. 68 (4): 1065–1069. doi:10.1016/j.saa.2006.12.033.

[4] Egleston, Thomas (1889). Catalogue of Minerals and Synonyms. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 83.

[5] Thomson, Thomas (1838). Chemistry of Organic Bodies: Vegetables. Maclachlan & Stewart. p. 748.

[6] Goldschmidt, G. (1879). Watts, Henry (ed.). Journal of the Chemical Society. The Chemical Society of Great Britain. p. 167.