FW: [meteorite-list] dronino (in)stability: a solution ?

From: mark ford <markf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:57 2004
Message-ID: <6CE3EEEFE92F4B4085B0E086B2941B31D94B_at_s-southern01.s-southern.com>

Marcia,

 I am not advocating that every Iron be treated in this way, just the
ones where all other hope has gone. All this rust treatment does is
provide a stable coating that protects against moisture and air getting
to the inside, it won't halt all rusting for ever but it's one hell of a
lot better than watching an Iron fall apart and doing nothing! Coupled
with the Hydroxide process it seems to be ok.

I have myself been conducting a series of 'rust tests' for some time,
(results not ready yet..) 15 years ago, I had a rusty canyon Diablo that
was looking really sad, so I discovered this rust treatment and decided
to use it on the diablo, its been fine ever since (although I know diabs
are pretty stable anyway.. I have since used it on a couple of other no
hopers.

I don't know the exact chemistry involved but the stuff I use ('KURUST')
is a white liquid (like milk) that you brush on and leave for 15 minutes
any rust is then turned black. I don't believe it is a polymer it is
more like oxide/magnetite, and it only coats the outer surface and
doesn't seem to touch the 'clean' metal.

Steve is right in that it makes the rust black, but isn't black better
than rust red!!?=20

Since rust is a terrestrial byproduct, I think you can justify on
ethical grounds replacing it with another terrestrial coating, after all
what is lacquer if its not a manmade coating?

If you use the sodium hydroxide process it doesn't remove the black, the
idea is just to neutrilize any unwanted contaminants.=20

The bottom line is, you are putting on a coating which drastically slows
down the rusting, you will never stop a nantan from rusting completely
without putting it into a total vacuume. But this seems to work for me,=20

However use at your own risk. If you wanted to remove the black coating
a wire brush will most likely get it off.

If we are questioning the ethics of rust stabilizing and blackening the
surface - A lot of sikhote Alins on the market are suspiciously a clean
shade of black after all these years in the ground ...? ?



Mark Ford
Received on Thu 18 Sep 2003 05:07:44 AM PDT