WorldWide Drilling Resource

11 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2015 Mother Nature’s Carbon and Friends by Harry W. Short, Engineering Geologist Mother Nature rates carbon (C) sixth on her list of the most abundant elements in the universe. There are over six million compounds (friends) containing this simple element. Carbon is a major player in our food chain because all plant and animal tissue contains carbon which is ingested when we eat. Compounds of carbon are combined with hydrogen and oxygen in our food; thus, carbon is essential for life. Common proteins such as hair, meat, and silk contain carbon with nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Carbon is indispensable in charcoal, carbon black, fullerene, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, coal, and diamonds. Carbon is used for radioactive dating of geological specimens in various formations of the geological past based on its decay rate. Charcoal, an impure variety of carbon, is the black, porous, brittle material left over when wood is partially burned or charred. Pure charcoal burns hot and leaves only a small amount of ash residue. It is used to manufacture silicon alloys, high- chrome steel, gunpowder, and glass. Carbon black, discovered in 1889, is made by burning natural gas in a furnace with a limited amount of oxygen. It is scuff- and scrape-resistant and is used in making tires. Because it’s insoluble and chemically inactive, it has many other commercial uses. Fullerene (many friends) is a hollow cluster of 60 carbon atoms resembling a five- or six-sided soccer ball, and is referred to as “buckyballs.” It has been found in rocks over 600 million years old, in soot f rom burning of some gasses on earth, and outer space. Fullerene (carbon) is used as a lubri- cant in ball bearings, batteries, radioac- tive shielding, and a coating for various materials. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale are rich in carbon and is com- bined with hydrogen from plants and animals that died in ancient seas. Primitive man used asphalt from natu- ral ground seeps before 3000 B.C. to construct roads, buildings, and water- proof boats. Primitive Egyptian and Chinese doctors used petroleum found at the ground surface for medicinal purposes. Egyptian morticians used bitumen to make headdresses for mummies and wrapped the bodies in linen soaked in natural asphalt. It hasn’t been verified as of yet, but there is some current geologic informa- tion around that diamonds are a result of igneous or volcanic activity. Harry Harry Short may be contacted via e-mail at michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Don’t Miss WWDR ’s October Issue Deadlines: Space Reservation: August 25 th Display & Classified Ad Copy: September 1 st