[meteorite-list] Stopping Rust & Preserving Iron Meteorites - THIS WORKS!

From: Rosemary Hackney <ltcrose_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:28 2004
Message-ID: <003301c2602f$fb2db000$4273d6d1_at_default>

Ok Steve..
That make sense.. The water is used to dissolve the NaOH. I wondered why
70 %..

Rosie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Schoner" <american_meteorite_survey_at_yahoo.com>
To: "Jeff Kuyken" <jeff_at_meteoritesaustralia.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Stopping Rust & Preserving Iron Meteorites -
THIS WORKS!


> Isopropyl is plain "rubbing alcohol" and works best at
> 70% concentration with the rest water.
>
> Now, you could use "everclear" (expensive) which is
> grain alcohol, or even denatured alcohol (a lot
> cheaper) then add some water 20 to 30 % by volume, to
> get the right amount of water into the solution.
>
> NaOH does not dissolve in straight alcohol, only when
> it is a mix of water and alcohol.
>
> Steve Schoner
>
> --- Jeff Kuyken <jeff_at_meteoritesaustralia.com> wrote:
> > G'day again,
> >
> > I agree with Steve. Saturation is what you want. I
> > had undissolved chemical left also. It worked great
> > for me. I guess getting some alcohol chemicals may
> > be a little harder in Australia so I had to settle
> > for plain old Methylated Spirits (95% Ethanol). It
> > was all I could get and I was desperate to stop the
> > rust before I watched the piece disintegrate before
> > me. I also just used an everyday, household powdered
> > form of Caustic Soda (98% NaOH). I have to admit
> > that the Olivine crystals in my little Brahin slice
> > that I tried it with didn't like the mix too much as
> > they didn't come out of it looking the same. No
> > great problem as the piece was well and truly on
> > it's way to back to the great Pallasite heaven in
> > the sky! ;-)
> >
> > Thanks again,
> >
> > Jeff Kuyken
> > I.M.C.A. #3085
> > www.meteoritesaustralia.com
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Steven Schoner"
> > <american_meteorite_survey_at_yahoo.com>
> > To: <marsroxx_at_theofficenet.com>
> > Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 6:53 AM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Stopping Rust &
> > Preserving Iron Meteorites - THIS WORKS!
> >
> >
> > >
> > > --- marsroxx_at_theofficenet.com wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Dear Jeff and Steve,
> > > > What proportions of Alcohol and Hydroxide do you
> > > > use?
> > > > Thanks
> > > > Alan Gayda
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Use 70% isopropyl and then add about one level
> > > teaspoon of red devil lye to every 6 oz of that.
> > >
> > > You want saturation, so not all of it will
> > dissolve.
> > >
> > > Steve Schoner.
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Quoting Steven Schoner
> > > > <american_meteorite_survey_at_yahoo.com>:
> > > >
> > > > > And I might also add that the process that I
> > > > devised
> > > > > also works well with Brahin. But with
> > pallasites
> > > > one
> > > > > has to be careful as some of the olivines have
> > a
> > > > > tendency to rise out of their sockets as the
> > FeCl3
> > > > is
> > > > > converted to FeOH. Then during drying the
> > FeOH is
> > > > > converted to iron oxides. And the olivines
> > are at
> > > > > this point fairly secure. But what I do is
> > use
> > > > > superglue to fix all the olivines then sand it
> > > > down.
> > > > > I then leave the pallasite slices uncoated
> > after
> > > > > polishing for several weeks. If they don't
> > rust
> > > > then
> > > > > I heat them to 150 degrees then dip them in
> > > > > polyurethane and allow them to dry.
> > > > >
> > > > > They never rust again.
> > > > >
> > > > > The process also works very well with the
> > > > problematic
> > > > > Lamont mesosiderite as well.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve Schoner
> > > > > American Meteorite Survey.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- Jeff Kuyken <jeff_at_meteoritesaustralia.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > > G'day List,
> > > > > > A couple of months ago I wrote to the list
> > > > asking
> > > > > > for help to stop my Chinga slice rusting.
> > There
> > > > have
> > > > > > been a few posts since then asking similar
> > > > questions
> > > > > > so I thought I would share this with
> > everyone.
> > > > > > Before I continue, I really need to mention
> > that
> > > > the
> > > > > > problematic 111g slice of Chinga arrived to
> > me
> > > > > > rusting in a way that would have put any
> > Nantan
> > > > to
> > > > > > shame! John Gwilliam replied to my post with
> > a
> > > > great
> > > > > > process that I have tried and has worked
> > > > extremely
> > > > > > well. Thanks John. It has been several weeks
> > now
> > > > and
> > > > > > not even the slightest hint of rust has
> > > > reoccurred.
> > > > > > I have included the post below.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Jeff Kuyken
> > > > > > I.M.C.A. #3085
> > > > > > www.meteoritesaustralia.com
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Hello Jeff and List,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > According to Ivan Koutyrev, all the Chinga
> > irons
> > > > > > they have found have been
> > > > > > recovered in stream beds. This means that
> > the
> > > > irons
> > > > > > have been in almost
> > > > > > constant contact with water for a long time.
> >
> > > > Over
> > > > > > hundreds of years, rust
> > > > > > has been able to migrate into the interior
> > where
> > > > it
> > > > > > can be a chronic
> > > > > > problem if not treated properly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > After the meteorite has been sliced, I sand
> > down
> > > > the
> > > > > > flat surfaces starting
> > > > > > with a 100 grit or even a fresh 220 grit
> > sanding
> > > > > > belt (on a water cooled
> > > > > > lapidary sander). Successively finer grits
> > are
> > > > used
> > > > > > until I'm down to a
> > > > > > worn 600 grit belt. Remember to wash the
> > iron
> > > > slice
> > > > > > and rinse in anhydrous
> > > > > > alcohol in between every grit change so you
> > > > don't
> > > > > > have a stray piece of
> > > > > > larger grit mess up your polished surface.
> > > > After
> > > > > > the worn 600 grit
> > > > > > polish, I treat the specimen for 5 - 10
> > days in
> > > > the
> > > > > > alcohol/ sodium
> > > > > > hydroxide bath recommended by Steve Schoner.
> >
> > > > This
> > > > > > will attack the rust in
> > > > > > the specimen and the sodium in the mix bonds
> > > > with
> > > > > > the chlorides in the rust
> > > > > > and becomes common salt. Believe me, this
> > > > solution
> > > > > > really works. I have
> > > > > > several slices of OLD Campos sitting
> > unprotected
> > > > out
> > > > > > in my shop that were
> > > > > > treated over 18 months ago and none of them
> > show
> > > > a
> > > > > > hint of rust. For those
> > > > > > of you interested in this process, I think
> > you
> > > > can
> > > > > > find it on Eric
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
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Received on Thu 19 Sep 2002 06:56:42 PM PDT