Ozokerite

Ozokerite or ozocerite (Gr. Όζο oze, stench, and κερί kero, wax), archaically referred to as earthwax or earth wax, is a naturally occurring odoriferous mineral wax or paraffin found in many localities.

Specimens have been obtained from Scotland, Northumberland, Wales, as well as from about thirty different countries. Of these occurrences the ozokerite of the island (now peninsula) of Cheleken, near Türkmenbaşy Bay, parts of the Himalayas in India and the deposits of Utah in the United States, deserve mention, though the last-named have been largely worked out. The sole sources of commercial supply are in Galicia, at Boryslav, Dzwiniacz and Starunia, though the mineral is found at other points on both flanks of the Carpathians.

Ozokerite deposits are believed to have originated in much the same way as mineral veins, the slow evaporation and oxidation of petroleum having resulted in the deposition of its dissolved paraffin in the fissures and crevices previously occupied by the liquid. As found native, ozokerite varies from a very soft wax to a black mass as hard as gypsum.

Its specific gravity ranges from 0.85 to 0.95, and its melting point from 58 to 100 °C (136 to 212 °F). It is soluble in ether, petroleum, benzene, turpentine, chloroform, carbon disulfide and others. Galician ozokerite varies in color from light yellow to dark brown, and frequently appears green owing to dichroism. It usually melts at 62 °C (144 °F). Chemically, ozokerite consists of a mixture of various hydrocarbons, containing 85-87% by weight of carbon and 14-13% of hydrogen.

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