Duxite is a mostly black-brown fossil
resin
In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on n ...
from
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
s
lignite layers in the northern
Bohemia. The resin is first mentioned in 1874 by Christian Dölter.
[C. Doelter: ''Harz aus der Braunkohle von Dux.'' – In: ''Verh. Geol. Reichsanstalt'', 17. März 1874: P. 145-146, Wien 1874.] It is named after the small Czech town of
Duchcov
Duchcov (; german: Dux) is a town in Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,600 inhabitants. Duchcov is known for the Duchcov Castle. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved ...
(German: Dux) in northern Bohemia, where it was found in the lignite mining Emeran.
Not far from Duchcov, duxite has been found since the 1980s in a lignite workhouse at
Bílina
Bílina (; german: Bilin) is a town in Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It is known for its spas and as a source of the strongly mineralized water, Bílinská kyselka. The tow ...
. In the lower section of the mined here lignite occur grade category tree residues with duxite. Mostly it involves
Taxodium
''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning "yew", and the Greek ...
.
Properties
Cornelio Doelter
Cornelio August Severinus Doelter, Doelter y Cisterich or Cisterich y de la Torre (16 September 1850 – 8 August 1930) was a Caribbean born Austrian geologist who specialized in chemical mineralogy and petrology, serving as a professor at the Uni ...
reported the following composition for the samples which were extracted in 1874 (air-dry basis): 78.25% carbon, 8.14% hydrogen, 13.19% oxygen and 0.42% sulfur. The specific gravity was determined 1.133. The sample was in
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
sparingly soluble in
benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen ato ...
.
Doelter noted a certain similarity of the analyzed sample resin to Walchowit, gave the resin but because of the opposite Walchowit significantly higher oxygen content and because of some differing physical properties has its own name. He classified duxite in the category of
Retinite Retinite is resin, particularly from beds of brown coal which are near amber in appearance, but contain little or no succinic acid
Succinic acid () is a dicarboxylic acid with the chemical formula (CH2)2(CO2H)2. The name derives from Latin ''s ...
fossil resins. Already in the middle of the 20th century, duxite was known as the "Resinous
bitumen
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...
".
Modern methods of investigation, such as the
infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy or vibrational spectroscopy) is the measurement of the interaction of infrared radiation with matter by absorption, emission, or reflection. It is used to study and identify chemical substances or function ...
shows that duxite is not a pure resin, but a mixture of saturated
hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ...
s and plant resins and
wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low ...
es.
[N. Vávra et al.: ''Duxite and ist geochemical biomarkers („Chemofossils“) from Bilina open-cast mine in the North Bohemian Basin (Miocene, Czech Republic).'' – In: ''N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. (Mh.)'' 1997 (4): S. 223 -243, Stuttgart 1997.]
References
{{reflist
External links
What Is Cannabis Resin?
Resins