Grahamite, also known as Pyrobitumen or Anthraxolite,
is a
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 ...
-impregnated rock (asphaltite). It is a naturally occurring solid
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 ...
bitumen with relatively high fixed carbon rate of 35–55% and high temperature of fusion.
It occurs in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
,
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
, and in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
and
Oklahoma, United States. Grahamite found in the Impson Valley of southeastern Oklahoma is known as
impsonite.
Grahamite was named by
Henry Wurtz after James Lorimer Graham, who was interested of commercial development of this mineral resource in West Virginia.
References
Organic minerals
Bitumen-impregnated rocks
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