Carpathite (also known as pendletonite and karpatite) is a very rare hydrocarbon mineral. It is the mineral form of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon coronene with the formula: C24H12.
It was first described in 1955 as an occurrence in Transcarpathian Oblast, Ukraine. It was named for the Carpathian Mountains. It has also been reported from the Presov Region of the Slovak Republic, the Kamchatka Oblast in Russia and from San Benito County, California.
General Information
- Category: Organic mineral
- Formula: C24H12
- Crystal system: Monoclinic
- Crystal class: Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Properties
- Color: Yellow, yellowish brown on exposure
- Crystal habit: Acicular to thin tabular in bladed groups and fibrous radiating aggregates
- Fracture: Splintery
- Tenacity: Flexible, nearly plastic
- Mohs scale hardness: 1.5
- Luster: Vitreous – adamantine
- Streak: Yellow white
- Diaphaneity: Transparent
- Specific gravity: 1.35
Occurrence
It occurs in the contact zone of a diorite intrusive into argillite within cavities in Ukraine. In cavities at the contact of diorite porphyry with argillites (Olenevo, Ukraine); a low-temperature hydrothermal mineral (California, USA). In the California occurrence, it appears as a low-temperature hydrothermal phase. It is associated with idrialite, amorphous organic material, calcite, barite, quartz, cinnabar, and metacinnabar.
Association: Idrialite, amorphous organic material, calcite, barite, quartz, cinnabar, metacinnabar (Olenevo, Ukraine); cinnabar, quartz (California, USA).
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