Abstract
Carbynes, or polymorphs of elemental carbon first reported synthesized by Kasatochkin et al (1967), have generally been recognized by their characteristic hexagonal electron diffraction pattern. It is pointed out, however, that sheet silicate minerals give rise to hexagonal diffraction patterns with a similar range of interplanar spacings. A reexamination of reported occurrences of carbynes, including chaoite, by means of TEM shows that nontronite and quartz contaminants could account for most of the cases previously attributed to chaoite. It is recommended that in future searches for carbyne, energy-dispersive X-ray analyses should be conducted to verify the chemistry of individual, carbyne-candidate grains.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- May 1982
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1982Sci...216..984S
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon;
- Diffraction Patterns;
- Mineralogy;
- Polymorphism;
- Chemical Composition;
- Contaminants;
- Crystal Structure;
- Electron Diffraction;
- Electron Microscopy;
- Graphite;
- Quartz;
- Silicates;
- X Ray Spectroscopy;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration