Minerals
Chibaite
chibaite
SiO2·n(CH4,C2H6,C3H8,C4H10) (nmax=3/17)
Chibaite fossil mineral stone. Geological crystalline fossil. Dark ... — via www.vecteezy.com · Source
Overview
Chibaite is a rare silicate mineral. It is a silica clathrate with formula SiO2•n(CH4,C2H6,C3H8,i-C4H10) (n = 3/17 (max)). The mineral is cubic (diploidal class, m3) and the silica hosts or traps various hydrocarbon molecules, such as methane, ethane, propane and isobutane. Chibaite was first described for specimens collected from Arakawa, Minamibōsō, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu Island, Japan. The mineral was approved by the IMA in 2009.