elpasolite
noun · first attested 1883
A mineral almost nobody collects gave its name to a whole family of synthetic crystals used to catch neutrons.
A rare potassium sodium aluminum fluoride, K2NaAlF6, from alkaline pegmatites.
38.8400°N -104.5200°W · Q111774
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 1883
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
El Paso County
- In English
elpasolite
W. Cross and W. F. Hillebrand described elpasolite in 1883 from riebeckite pegmatites at St. Peter's Dome in El Paso County, Colorado. Crystallographers later adopted the elpasolite structure type as a standard label. Synthetic elpasolites such as Cs2LiYCl6 are now grown as scintillator crystals for radiation detectors that distinguish gamma rays from neutrons.