[meteorite-list] Nickel test

From: Kevin Forbes <vk3ukf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Jan 7 11:55:18 2006
Message-ID: <BAY113-F70FBB46060F57D9D39E2999200_at_phx.gbl>

G'day List, just a tad more of something to add to the data pot.

Foundries often cast mining machinery parts using an alloy known at the
foundry as NiHard.
I worked at a foundry for a while.
NiHard can be made from cast iron with a small amount of new nickel in the
form of ingot thrown
into the pot and melted, or old NiHard and cast Iron, with less new nickel
added.
It is very hard and also brittle. Ni content % varies between 0.5% to 10%
And for those out there that do still work in a foundry, don't let the
fairies get ya..!!!
Don't throw cold lumps of metal into a pot contain molten material, it will
explode, the molten
material can be thrown up to 30 metres from a small 1 or 2 man pour. 20-60kg
of material.

And you can also make you own nickel test kit if you obtain a chemical known
as DMG
or Di-MethylGlyoxime. Make a solution of this DMG in metho (Oz) or
methylated spirits (de-
natured alcohol U.S.). about 5% strength. Also obtain a bottle of ammonia
solution from your
hardware store or supermarket. Use a cotton bud and moisten it with the DMG
solution, 2 drops,
then 2 drops of the ammonia solution, then rub the suspect sample with the
cotton bud.
If it turns pink, it indicates the presence of Nickel.

DMG = CH3.C(:NOH).C(:NOH).CH3

Ajax chemicals and BDH are supposed to be suppliers of DMG, but after
several emails, they have
failed to reply. They might still be on holidays, but I have tried this
several times over a few
months.

BDH

Product Code Description Pack Size
100983G Dimethylglyoxime 'AnalaR' 100G
130463C Dimethylglyoxime GPR 100G

BDH Australian Distributor

MERCK PTY LTD
A.B.N. 25 005 064 791
207 Colchester Road
Kilsyth
Victoria 3137

TEL:+ 03 9728 5855
Fax:+ 03 9728 7611
Email:merck_at_merck.com.au
Web:http://www.merck.com.au
Toll free phone (Australia-wide):
Enquiries and Orders: 1800 335 571
(general enquiries):100254.774_at_compuserve.com
Technical: 1800 032 900

Ajax DMG 25 grams Product Code 197-25G
Ajax DMG 10 grams Product Code 197-10G

Also if native Iron occurs on Earth why not in the greater cosmos, it is
just that we have not
yet found any. That doesn't mean it does not exist, only that we have not
yet found any. It also
seems that using nickel to confirm or dispell something as being meteoric in
origin, might leave
some very interesting specimens in a rubbish heap as failing the meteorite
test, when in fact
they are and rare at that. One day it will happen and a great rush will be
on re-testing old
rubbish, looking for a new treasure, nickle-less meteorites. But I am in the
same boat as
everyone else, I know of no meteoric Iron with no nickel.
Have I looked, no, I can only say like most of us, if it has nickel in it,
good chance for it
being a meteorite. How could we test for a meteorite with NO nickel????????

Why does Shirokovsky fail as being meteoric in origin????
Is it a natural deposit? Is their no nickel in it?

Cheers all, Kevin, VK3UKF.



>Thanks to everybody for these clear and detailed
>information.
>
>I use a nickel test kit called "Allertest™ Ni Nickel
>Allergy Kit" (from www.allerderm.com) and never got
>positive results. I tested many suspected iron
>meteorites and always got negative results.
>
>It showed positive results on a common iron meteorite
>I tested.
>
>Maybe it's a good test kit ?
>
>Pierre-Marie PELE
>www.meteor-center.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Sat 07 Jan 2006 11:55:13 AM PST