Diburnium (symbol Db) was a chemical element with atomic number 122 on the periodic table.
Characteristics and history[]
Diburnium, in its most stable form, had an atomic mass of 319, and was discovered by Humans and the Federation through contact with the Vulcan civilization. This metal was part of the trans-uranic series of heavy elements. (ST reference: Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual)
Diburnium was sometimes used on Rigel VIII for manufacturing furniture, such as bar stools. (TOS novel: Prime Directive)
An artificial planet that was the site of a Kalandan outpost was constructed of an alloy of diburnium and osmium, resembling red rock. Its surface was highly resistant to phaser fire, and possessed a melting point in excess of 8000 °C. (TOS episode: "That Which Survives")
Kelvans used a material similar to diburnium in prison bars and device casings. It was much denser and likely resistant to phasers. (TOS episode: "By Any Other Name")
The Glant used a diburnium-based alloy in their Dyson section. (DS9 novel: Original Sin)
See also[]
- diburnite
- triburnium
- tetraburnium
Appendices[]
Background[]
In real-life science, element 122 has yet to be discovered. A placeholder name based on its number, "unbibium", has been suggested to document the possible existence of this substance. Some models of theoretical science have stated that heavy elements on this scale may be impossible to synthesize or reproduce, and cannot exist in nature. Subspace quantities mentioned in Star Trek may account for the contradiction of this being a usable resource on other worlds. When the Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual assigned this substance the abbreviation symbol "Db", they unintentionally duplicated the symbol for dubnium, which would not be named until some years after that publication.
References[]
- TOS episodes: "That Which Survives", "By Any Other Name"
- ST references: Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual, Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise
- TOS novel: Prime Directive
- ST - A Time to... novel: A Time to Harvest
- TTN novel: Over a Torrent Sea
External links[]
- Diburnium article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Unbibium article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.