All articles tagged with #clathrate
Researchers studying a Trinity test fragment of trinitite found two rare crystal structures formed by the explosion: a copper-rich red phase containing a quasicrystal and a silicon-based clathrate. Using nano-CT, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and modeling, they show both structures coalesced in the detonation, offering new insights into how extreme events produce unusual crystals.
Researchers analyzing remnants from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test identified a novel calcium–copper–silicon clathrate formed spontaneously under extreme heat and pressure, a material not seen in nature or in labs, alongside a silicon-rich quasicrystal; the finding shows that catastrophic events can create new materials with potential for future technologies.
A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used CT and X-ray scans to analyze a rare red crystal from the Trinity test’s trinitite and found a previously unseen clathrate that traps atoms in its lattice—a material never observed in nature or in nuclear debris—highlighting the extreme chemistry produced by nuclear weapons, with the reminder that collecting such material is illegal.
Scientists using CT and X-ray scans on trinitite—the glass formed by the 1945 Trinity nuclear test—have identified a hitherto unseen red clathrate crystal trapped within its lattice. This marks the first observation of such a clathrate in natural or nuclear-explosion materials, highlighting the extreme conditions produced by nuclear detonations; researchers caution that collecting samples from the blast site is illegal.
Scientists analyzing red trinitite from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test found a previously unseen clathrate crystal, where silicon cages trap copper and calcium in 12- and 14-sided lattices—the first clathrate crystal produced by a nuclear explosion. The Trinity detonation's extreme temperatures (~2700°F/1500°C) and pressures (up to 8 GPa) likely forced atoms into unlikely configurations, expanding our understanding of mineral formation under extreme conditions.
Analysis of red trinitite from the Trinity test uncovered a tiny copper-rich droplet containing a previously unknown calcium-copper-silicon clathrate crystal, a structure not seen in nature or in nuclear debris. Using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and density functional theory, researchers showed this clathrate, alongside a Trinity quasicrystal, formed under the blast’s extreme, non-equilibrium conditions. While scientifically intriguing for understanding metastable phases and extreme-material formation, the crystal is extremely rare and not practical for commercial use.
Researchers analyzing red trinitite from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test identified a copper-rich cubic type-1 clathrate—the first clathrate found in nuclear-explosion products—alongside a quasicrystal in the same sample. The extreme, rapidly changing conditions of the blast created unusual crystalline phases, offering new forensic tools and insights into high-energy materials science.