[meteorite-list] Finally a field nickel test

From: Göran Axelsson <axelsson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Feb 22 22:55:01 2005
Message-ID: <421BFF9D.4050907_at_acc.umu.se>

I've experienced that test in real life....

Me and a few friends visited an old nickel mine. (Probably located at
the rim of an old impact structure, almost on topic). We were looking
for nickel minerals as gersdorffite, nickeline and the green
annabergite. They have also found a few cobalt minerals in the mine.
Suddenly I spotted a few stones with brightly pink patches of erythrite,
a cobalt mineral created by weathering.
Happily I started to collect theese rare specimens and showed it to my
friends.
It took me almost ten minutes before I realised what had happened.
Some friends we should meet later that evening had also passed by just
hours before and they had tested a few rocks for nickel by spitting on
the rock and spreading some powder of dimethylglyoxime.
The powder never dissolved, it stayed on the surface, got a nice color
and dried onto the surface, sticking hard.

Laughing for myself I had to start throwing out the rocks that I already
had packed in the car!

    :-)

/G?ran


McCartney Taylor wrote:

>I would like report a field nickel test that I'm using. I've been
>frustrated in the past trying to test 'suspect' irons in the field, and I
>suspect I'm not alone. I have seen in the met list archives
>discussion of field nickel tests. All tests reported were discouraging,
>and that the litmus style nickel tests were not useful.
>
>The test that works for me is actually designed for the jewelry
>industry to test jewelry for people who are nickel allergic. The
>product is made by Allerderm Labs in Phoenix, AZ
>http://www.allerderm.com/consumers/allertest.asp and it costs about
>$13 plus shipping. The perk is it comes in nice eyedrop bottles and
>is easily transportable.
>
>Its a dimethylglyoxime test using two reagents and a Q-tip.
>How I finally used it in the field is by grinding a small window on the
>iron or stone, then using several Q-tips and alcohol I throughly clean
>a spot on the window that I'll test. When the Q-tips no longer show
>any dirt on them and come away clean, I begin the test. On a clean
>Q-tip: 1 drop Solution A (1% dimethylglyoxime) and 1 drop Solution
>B (10% Ammonium hydroxide). Hold against the test area 30 sec.
>
>If there is no nickle present, its nice and clean with no discoloration.
>IF some nickle present (like stone), its muddy brown. For some
>irons it turns cherry red. I can not give any info on false positives.
>
>I hope this is useful for other hunters in the field.
>
>BTW - I got to use this test this weekend on a 61 pound iron
>recovered in the Texas Panhandle.
>
>-mt
>IMCA 2760
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Received on Tue 22 Feb 2005 10:59:25 PM PST