Argon Crystal

"Void based radioactive resource that decays every day it is out of the Void."

- In-Game Description

Argon Crystals are a rare resource that drops in the Orokin Void, as a rare deposit on any planet and from certain Assassination targets. Unlike other resources, they decay after a limited period of time. After this period the resources will disappear from the user's inventory and must be reacquired if needed.

The timer points towards Midnight UTC/GMT+0 time indefinitely. This supports its description.

Gathering Tips
''These are based on opinions and may not be 100% true. These should be viewed as advice for finding the materials until better facts are proven.''
 * Argon Crystals drop more commonly from containers and lockers. Thief's Wit, Master Thief, and a Kubrow or Kavat with Scavenge can help in finding containers that may contain Argon Crystals.
 * Bringing a Smeeta Kavat with Charm into Void maps has a chance at giving you one or multiple Argon Crystals when it triggers.
 * Bringing a Nekros with Desecrate can improve your chances in finding Argon Crystals.
 * Bringing a Hydroid with the Pilfering Swarm augmentation can improve your chances in finding Argon Crystals.
 * Bringing an Ivara with Prowl can improve your chances in finding Argon Crystals.
 * Combining this with a Nekros with Desecrate and using slash weapons to dismember the bodies (Desecrate counts each severed part as a separate entity) will give you a high chance for drops.
 * A typical squad composition is a Speed Nova, a Pilfering Swarm Hydroid, a Desecrate Nekros and Energy Vampire Trinity on Taranis, a Void Defense, can yield several Argon crystals per run.
 * Breakable Argon Pegmatites are found on Quest/Void Missions. There is at least one Argon Pegmatite per Quest Mission.
 * The Jordas Golem on Eris is a good place to find Argon as well. Just break the containers in and around the boss area.
 * The Weekly Ayatan Sculpture Mission from Maroo's Bazaar is a good place to find Argon Crystals but only if it is a Void map, and not a Derelict map.

Blueprints Requiring Argon Crystals
Click to view the Blueprints requiring Argon Crystals. 

Trivia

 * Argon (symbol: Ar) is the 18th element in the periodic table. It is a noble gas whose most commonly occurring isotope, 36Ar, is stable and does not decay as the Argon Crystal does (though it has a number of unstable isotopes that do decay, none of their half-lives match up with the Argon Crystal's rate of decay).
 * While argon does sublimate at room temperature, sublimation doesn't follow the pattern of being repeatedly cut in half at regular intervals.
 * This is the first resource that has the ability to degrade over time.
 * Due to a DDoS Attack on Warframe's PC Servers on April 15, 2014, Argon Crystals didn't decay until servers stabilized – although their countdown remained active. This lasted until  was launched, as the servers had fully recovered by that time.
 * Previously, Argon Crystals would drop from Infestation Outbreaks (particularly from Phorid), and was considered a much more efficient way to collect them. This bug was removed (albeit undocumented in the patch notes) in.