Hatchettite Explained

Hatchettite should not be confused with mountain tallow tree.

Hatchettite (also mountain tallow, mineral tallow, mineral adipocire, or adipocerite) is a mineral hydrocarbon. It has been claimed to be the same as evenkite.

Characteristics

Hatchettite occurs in the coal measures of Belgium and elsewhere, occupying in some cases the interior of hollow concretions of iron-ore, but more generally the cavities of fossil shells or crevices in the rocks.It is of yellow colour, and translucent, but darkens and becomes opaque on exposure. It has no odour, is greasy to the touch, and has a slightly glistening lustre. Its hardness is that of soft wax. The melting point is 46 to 47 °C, and the composition is C 85.55 %, H 14.45 %.

See also

• Ozocerite

References

• • Mineral Tallow. x.

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Notes and References

1. J. E. Spangenberg and N. Meisser (2000): ""Hatchettite and Evenkite - two mineral names for the same natural crystalline paraffinic vax[isotope ratio study]". Paper EDB-00:118740 Abstracts of the 5th Isotope Workshop of European Society for Isotope Research, pages 188-191.
2. J. E. Spangenberg, J. C. Hunziker, N. Meisser, and U. Herlec (1999): "Compound specific isotope analysis of the organic minerals hatchettite and idrialite in geodes, coal, and mineral deposits". Chapter in Mineral Deposits: Processes to Processing, pages 275-278.