Crystals of synthetic dilithium.
Synthetic dilithium is a manufactured material that looks like dilithium.
Specifics[]
Synthetic dilithium takes the form of five- or six-inch-long cylindrical crystals. Rather than being a useful substitute, however, it is of no use in warp engines. Its fluid molecular structure gives it a less dense core than dilithium, making it unstable, unreliable, and explosive. Tricorders can detect the flux in the fake crystals.
History[]
In the 2260s, a scientist perfected a way to create synthetic dilithium, even though he knew it had no engineering value.
In 2267, Harry Mudd met the scientist and cheaply purchased a large number of the fake crystals. Mudd then set up shop on dilithium-rich Eulus, posing as the Eulus native's Grand Qaal. Using the fakes as samples, he sold the planetoid's mining rights to a Klingon commander. But James T. Kirk and Spock discovered the swindle and attempted to recover the samples before they destroyed the Klingon battle cruiser IKS Ectacus. (TOS comic: "Operation Con Game")