evenkite

{{infobox mineral | name = Evenkite | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Evenkite-444375.jpg | alt = | caption = Evenkite from Dubnik, Slovakia | category = Organic mineral | formula = C24H50 | IMAsymbol = Evk | molweight = | strunz = 10.BA.50 | dana = | system = Orthorhombic | class = Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = Pbcm | unit cell = a = 7.47, b = 4.98, c = 65.85 [Å]; Z = 4 | color = Colorless or pale yellow | colour = | habit = Tabular pseudohexagonal crystals, granular, disseminated | twinning = Polysynthetic | cleavage = {001} Perfect | fracture = | tenacity = | mohs = 1 | luster = Waxy | streak = | diaphaneity = Transparent | gravity = 0.87 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxial (+) | refractive = nα = 1.504 nβ = 1.504 nγ = 1.553 | birefringence = δ = 0.049 | pleochroism = | 2V = | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = | alteration = | other = | prop1 = | prop1text = | references = }} Evenkite is a rare hydrocarbon mineral with formula C24H50; specifically, H3C–(CH2)22–CH3, the alkane n-tetracosane. It occurs as very soft (Mohs hardness 1) transparent crystals, colorless to yellow, with a waxy luster. The softness is a characteristic of crystalline long-chain alkanes, which are the main constituents of paraffin wax.

Evenkite one of very few minerals that consist of crystalline hydrocarbons, which include carpathite (pure crystalline coronene, a polyaromatic hydrocarbon). It is also one of the few non-porous minerals that floats on water. It has been claimed to be the same as hatchettite.