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

From: Steven Schoner <american_meteorite_survey_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:28 2004
Message-ID: <20020919174045.54055.qmail_at_web11407.mail.yahoo.com>

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 01:40:45 PM PDT