Sciencemadness Discussion Board

shungite

pneumatician - 21-10-2014 at 17:01

ep!

what type of carbon is shungite?

shungite contains some kind of metal impurities? what?

mindat.org say:
Shungite is elementary noncrystalline carbon with a metastable structure incapable of graphitization,

Amos - 21-10-2014 at 18:09

You said it yourself; it's noncrystalline, so it's amorphous carbon, though there are often fullerenes present, a quick online search concluded. It could be seen as analogous to amber or pearl; biological in origin, non-crystalline(and therefore not a mineral) but still having some of the visual properties of a mineral or gemstone.
Quote:
The varying elements and non elements in shungite are as follows:

Carbon: 20% – 95%, Silicon: 5% – 60%, Aluminum: up to 4%, Iron: up to 3.5%, Magnesium: up to 3.5%, Kaliy: up to 12%, Sulfur : up to 1.2 %, Calcium: up to 0.58 %, Phosphorus:- up to 0.34 % and various other elements and concentrated organic matter


These impurities are similar to what you might find in volcanically formed rock, with which shungite coincides.

[Edited on 10-22-2014 by No Tears Only Dreams Now]