[meteorite-list] Etching Portales Valley

From: Herbert Raab <herbert.raab_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:07:05 2004
Message-ID: <3DC18AED.8EDC48B5_at_utanet.at>

Hello List,

I have a nice 16.4g complete slice of Portales Valley with some large
metal veins and fusion crust. Now I am thinkling about etching the slice
to bring out the Widmanstäten pattern in the metal. Is there anything
special I need to care about when etching Portales Valley?

I have etched several of my iron meteorites, and even a large iron nodule
in my 28g slice from the Estherville mesosiderite. But I have never etched
a ordinary chondrite, so I though I rather ask...

Would the experts on this list also recommend to lacquer the slice after
etching? My slice is currently not covered with lacquer, and there is not
the slightest amount of rust visible now. But can the acid make the iron
start to rust? Is there any danger that the nitol used for etching or the
alcohol used for cleaning the specimen would destroy the thin fusion crust?

Thanks for your help,

  Herbert Raab
  Linz, Austria
Received on Thu 31 Oct 2002 02:56:29 PM PST