Rock Identifier
Carborundum (Silicon Carbide) (Silicon Carbide (SiC)) — mineral (synthetic)
mineral (synthetic)

Carborundum (Silicon Carbide)

Silicon Carbide (SiC)

Hardness: 9.0-9.5 (Mohs scale); Color: Iridescent black with rainbow metallic highlights; Luster: Adamantine to metallic; Crystal structure: Hexagonal or rhombohedral; Cleavage: None/conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 3.21

Hardness
9
Color
Iridescent black with rainbow metallic highlights
Luster
Adamantine to metallic
Identified More mineral (synthetic) →
Explore Carborundum (Silicon Carbide) in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App StoreGoogle Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 9.0-9.5 (Mohs scale); Color: Iridescent black with rainbow metallic highlights; Luster: Adamantine to metallic; Crystal structure: Hexagonal or rhombohedral; Cleavage: None/conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 3.21

Formation & geological history

Formed through the Acheson process, which involves heating a mixture of silica sand and carbon in an electric resistance furnace. While extremely rare in nature (found as Moissanite), these iridescent plates are man-made industrial byproducts created at temperatures exceeding 2700°C.

Uses & applications

Used as an abrasive for cutting and grinding, in high-temperature ceramics, brake discs, and semiconductor devices. In specimen form, it is used for home decor and as a teaching tool in geology.

Geological facts

Silicon Carbide is one of the hardest known substances, second only to diamond and boron nitride. The rainbow iridescence is caused by a thin surface layer of silica (SiO2) that forms when the hot material oxidizes upon air contact.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its extreme hardness (will easily scratch glass and quartz) and its distinctive crystalline, porous, and rainbow-metallic appearance. It is strictly a lab-grown material and not found naturally in large deposits.

More like this

Other mineral (synthetic) specimens

Man-made Synthetic Material (Costume Faux Fur) (Synthetic Polymer (Polyester/Acrylic)) — not a rock

Man-made Synthetic Material (Costume Faux Fur)

Synthetic Polymer (Polyester/Acrylic)

not a rock
Lava Stone and Chakra Beads (Basalt (with various mineral/synthetic beads)) — igneous

Lava Stone and Chakra Beads

Basalt (with various mineral/synthetic beads)

igneous
Cubic Zirconia (CZ) (Cubic Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)) — mineral (synthetic)

Cubic Zirconia (CZ)

Cubic Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)

mineral (synthetic)
Luminous Stone (Glow-in-the-dark Synthetic/Man-made Stone) (Strontium Aluminate tinted glass or resin (Crystalline silicate/oxide mix)) — mineral (synthetic)

Luminous Stone (Glow-in-the-dark Synthetic/Man-made Stone)

Strontium Aluminate tinted glass or resin (Crystalline silicate/oxide mix)

mineral (synthetic)
Sodium Polyacrylate (Superabsorbent Polymer) (Sodium Polyacrylate [-CH2-CH(COONa)-]n) — mineral (synthetic)

Sodium Polyacrylate (Superabsorbent Polymer)

Sodium Polyacrylate [-CH2-CH(COONa)-]n

mineral (synthetic)
Cubic Zirconia (CZ) (Cubic Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)) — mineral (synthetic)

Cubic Zirconia (CZ)

Cubic Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)

mineral (synthetic)