Uintahite

Description

A very pure asphalt originally sold under the trademark name "Gilsonite" in the late 19th century. Now the name gilsonite is commonly used. Gilsonite, or uintahite, is a pure natural bitumen that is found only in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. It is very hard, brittle and lustrous. Uintahite is used in black varnishes, lacquers, baking enamels, japans, linoleum, floor tile and paving where it increases resistance to acids, alkalis and water. It is also the first solid hydrocarbon to be converted to gasoline.

Synonyms and Related Terms

uintaite; Gilsonite; Utah coal resin

Risks

• Skin contact may cause irritation.

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Soluble in ethanol, turpentine, mineral spirits.
• Density = 1.10

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 359

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 9977

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998