Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/104

OZOKEBITE 72 OZONE OZOKERIT-E. Mineral wax; fossil wax. A naturally occurring, wax-like hydrocarbon mixture, brownish to black or green in color. Specific gravity 0-85 to 0-97. Melting point 55-110° C. In- soluble in water, but soluble in all com- mon solvents of fats and oils. Found in veins in Galicia, Utah, Wyoming, in the Caucasus and in other parts. Its formation is believed to have been brought about by the oxidation and de- composition of the hydrocarbons of naphtha. Ozokerite is purified by treat- ment with concentrated sulphuric acid and filtration through charcoal, and yields, by this treatment, a white waxy substance known as cerasin, used in the manufacture of candles. The chief uses of ozokerite are in electric insulation, the manufacture of paints, leather polish, sealing wax and ink, as a filling for rubber and in the preparation of carbon papers. OZONE, in chemistry, a modification of oxygen existing as a triatomic mole- cule. It is nearly always present in the atmosphere, apparently as the result of electrical action, and is formed by pas- sing electric sparks into dry air. It possesses a peculiar, almost metallic, odor, and seems to have all the proper- ties of oxygen, in an enhanced degree.