Impsonite is a black,

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...

aceous substance, with a

specific gravity Relative density, or specific gravity, is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water (molecule), wa ...

of 1.10–1.25 and a carbon content of 50–85%. It is described as an

asphalt 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 ...

pyrobitumen Pyrobitumen is a type of solid, amorphous organic matter. Pyrobitumen is mostly insoluble in carbon disulfide and other organic solvents as a result of molecular cross-linking, which renders previously soluble organic matter (i.e., bitumen) ins ...

. It is believed to be derived from a fluid

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 ...

which

polymerized In polymer chemistry, polymerization (American English), or polymerisation (British English), is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are many for ...

after filling a

vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenate ...

. The term was coined by George Homans Eldridge in 1901, referring to the asphaltic material in the Impson Valley in southeastern Oklahoma, later known as the Jumbo mine. The asphaltic material in the Impson Valley was later reclassified as grahamite, based on solubility and chemical similarities with the type grahamite of West Virginia.Impsonite: Definition and Much More from Answers.com
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References

External links

*http://www.mindat.org/min-11115.html *http://repository.icse.utah.edu/dspace/handle/123456789/6990 *http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja01927a003 Bitumen-impregnated rocks {{mineral-stub