Jadarite
Encyclopedia
Jadarite is a white, earthy monoclinic silicate mineral, whose chemical formula is: Li
Na
Si
B
3O
7(OH
) or Na2OLi2O(SiO2)2(B2O3)3H2O.
It was discovered in November 2006, in drill core from the Jadar Valley
(Serbian
Cyrillic: Јадар, Yaddar) in Serbia
, from which it is named. It was confirmed as a new mineral after scientists at the Natural History Museum
in London
and the National Research Council of Canada
conducted tests on it. Exploration geologists from Rio Tinto Exploration
discovered the mineral as small rounded nodules in drill core, and after being unable to match it with previously known minerals enlisted the expertise of Chris Stanley, from the Natural History Museum, who later described it as being unique to mineralogy
.
in the 2006 film Superman Returns
. This coincidence attracted mass-media attention, and jadarite was covered by
ABC, BBC,
CNN, Washington Post, and Yahoo,
among others.
The new mineral, unlike the fictional material in the movie, does not contain fluorine
, does not emit electromagnetic radiation, and is white rather than green (although, in the Superman comics, there is a white colored variety of kryptonite). In all other respects the chemistry matches that of the rock containing kryptonite
in the movie. The jadarite fluoresces
a pinkish-orange color when exposed to UV light
.
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
Na
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
Si
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
B
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
3O
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
7(OH
Hydroxide
Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and a hydrogen atom held together by a covalent bond, and carrying a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. It functions as a base, as a ligand, a nucleophile, and a...
) or Na2OLi2O(SiO2)2(B2O3)3H2O.
It was discovered in November 2006, in drill core from the Jadar Valley
Jadar River (Serbia)
The Jadar is a river in western Serbia, 79 km long right tributary of the Drina river. The Jadar also gives the name to the Jadar region of western Serbia.- River :...
(Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
Cyrillic: Јадар, Yaddar) in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, from which it is named. It was confirmed as a new mineral after scientists at the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
conducted tests on it. Exploration geologists from Rio Tinto Exploration
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
discovered the mineral as small rounded nodules in drill core, and after being unable to match it with previously known minerals enlisted the expertise of Chris Stanley, from the Natural History Museum, who later described it as being unique to mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
.
Jadarite in fiction
Jadarite's chemical formula is very close to the formula ("sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide with fluorine") invented for the fictional substance kryptoniteKryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
in the 2006 film Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
. This coincidence attracted mass-media attention, and jadarite was covered by
ABC, BBC,
CNN, Washington Post, and Yahoo,
among others.
The new mineral, unlike the fictional material in the movie, does not contain fluorine
Fluorine
Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest element of the halogen column of the periodic table and has a single stable isotope, fluorine-19. At standard pressure and temperature, fluorine is a pale yellow gas composed of diatomic...
, does not emit electromagnetic radiation, and is white rather than green (although, in the Superman comics, there is a white colored variety of kryptonite). In all other respects the chemistry matches that of the rock containing kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
in the movie. The jadarite fluoresces
Fluorescence
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation of a different wavelength. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore lower energy, than the absorbed radiation...
a pinkish-orange color when exposed to UV light
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
.