What does fullerite mean?
Fullerite is a historical name for a rare carbon mineral once described as a distinct cubic form of diamond. It was particularly associated with meteoritic material and is remembered in connection with the Canyon Diablo meteorite. Later mineralogical research established that fullerite and lonsdaleite referred to the same or closely related hexagonal diamond structure, and the fullerite name consequently fell out of regular scientific use. The word can still occur in older catalogues, historical mineral descriptions, and accounts of the development of carbon crystallography. For most modern readers, lonsdaleite is the preferred term. Fullerite remains worth knowing because it illustrates how an apparent new mineral can be reassessed when its structure and identity are understood more accurately.
nounFullerite is a historical mineral name for a rare cubic polymorph of carbon, particularly material reported in meteorites. In modern mineralogy, the name is generally treated as obsolete or as a synonym for lonsdaleite.
- A historical mineral name for a cubic carbon polymorph found in meteoritic material, now generally regarded as obsolete or synonymous with lonsdaleite.
"The specimen was catalogued as fullerite, although later analysis identified the material as lonsdaleite."
"The specimen was catalogued as fullerite, although later analysis identified the material as lonsdaleite."
"Fullerite was once described as a distinctive form of diamond recovered from a meteorite."
The plural is uncommon because fullerite is normally used as a mass noun for the mineral; it is mainly used when referring to multiple distinct specimens or named occurrences.
"The museum displays two fullerites recovered from meteoritic material."
Fullerite was once billed as a rare cubic form of diamond—until meteorite research linked the material to lonsdaleite.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fullerite
Fullerite was formed from the surname Fuller together with the mineral-forming suffix -ite, and the name was given in honor of George Fuller. It was introduced for a supposedly distinctive form of carbon found in meteoritic material. Modern mineralogical usage generally treats the term as obsolete or as a synonym of lonsdaleite, which describes the same or closely related crystal structure.
How fullerite is actually used
Fullerite is chiefly a historical scientific term. Current mineralogical references generally prefer lonsdaleite, so fullerite may appear mainly in older literature, specimen histories, and discussions of meteorite minerals.
Easily confused with fullerite
A fuller is a person or device that cleans and thickens woven fabric, whereas fullerite is a historical name for a carbon mineral.