| Chibaite | |
| Formula: | SiO2•n(CH4, C2H6, C3H8, i-C4H10) (n ≤ 3/17) |
| Imasymbol: | Cib[1] |
| Strunz: | 4.DA |
| System: | Isometric |
| Symmetry: | F2/d |
| Unit Cell: | a = 19.3742 V=7,272.29 Å3 |
| Colour: | white |
| Mohs: | 7 |
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Gravity: | 1.933 |
| Opticalprop: | isotropic |
| Refractive: | 1.470 |
Chibaite is a rare silicate mineral. It is a silica clathrate with formula (n = 3/17 (max)). The mineral is cubic (diploidal class, m) and the silica hosts or traps various hydrocarbon molecules, such as methane, ethane, propane and isobutane.[2] [3]
Chibaite was first described for specimens collected from Arakawa, Minamibōsō, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu Island, Japan. The mineral was approved by the IMA in 2009.[2] [3]