Chibaite

Chibaite is a rare silicate mineral. It is a silica clathrate with formula SIO
2•n(CH
4,C
2H
6,C
3H
8,i-C
4H
10) (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.[1][2]

White crystals of the rare silica-hydrocarbon minerals chibaite (IMA 2008-067) and bosoite (IMA 2014-023) from the type and only known locality worldwide for both species: Arakawa, Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu Island, Japan.

Chibaite was first described for specimens collected from Arakawa, Minamibōsō, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu Island, Japan. The mineral was approved by the IMA in 2009.[1][2]

References
  1. Chibaite on Mindat.org
  2. The Discovery of Chibaite, Elements, June 2012, section: Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences p. 230
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