Carbon is the sixth most abundant element in the universe. It has been known since ancient times and is one of the widely distributed elements in nature. Carbon is a non-metal and occupies 0.27% of the Earth crust. There are three naturally occurring allotropes of carbon known to exist: amorphous (coal), graphite and diamond (monatomic carbon).

The physical and chemical properties of carbon depend on the crystalline structure of the element. For example, a diamond in high hardness has a crystal structure different from graphite that is soft and smooth in terms of appearance, density, melting point and etc. Elemental carbon is an inert substance; under room temperature it has stable chemical property that is insoluble in water, diluted acids and bases, diluted alkali and organic solvents.

Applications:

Carbon and its compounds are widely distributed in nature and have many applications including but not limited to food, building and construction, medical hi-tech, environmental and industrial use. No element is more essential to life than carbon, because only carbon forms strong single bonds to itself that are stable enough to resist chemical attack under ambient conditions. This give carbon the ability to form long chains and rings of atoms, which are the structural basis for many compounds that comprise the living cell, of which the most important is DNA.

Environmental and Health Effects of Carbon:

Do not mistake elemental carbon from carbon black! Unlike toxic carbon black which exposes people to health hazard, elemental carbon is very low in toxicity. As of today, negative environmental effects have not yet been reported.