[meteorite-list] Perry to Nininger Letter, June 1, 1951

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:13 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV36qUWSGIVpI0000ade9_at_hotmail.com>

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(Stuart Perry to Harvey Nininger letter, Perry's File copy)
June 1, 1951

Dear Nininger:
You must be thinking by this time that I have gone to sleep on the Peru i=
ron, but that is not the case. I wanted to have Herbenar's interpretation=
 of certain structures, and after very long delay I now have the date fro=
m him, along with the photos which I am inclosing to you.
The iron is very usual, in fact almost anomalous, because it seems to hav=
e a definite iron-carbon structure and to contain abundant inclusions of =
steadite -- Fe-Fery-Fe-Fe3C-Fe3P eutectite found in artificial irons but =
which I have never seen observed in a meteoric iron with the exception of=
 the small area in Chesterville.
Herbenar feels very certain there these strange inclusions are Steadite, =
and that this would be confirmed by microchemical analysis -- in other wo=
rds by selective etching for carbon and phoephorus. To take up a few of t=
he photos -
1, 3 to 8, and others, show the strange looking streadite inclusions.
12 and 14 show the transitory interface of the inclusions and the diffusi=
on of the carbon into the kamacite.
8 and 9 show a structure essentially like a sorbitic structure in artific=
ial irons, as in heat-treated low-carbon martensite.
16 appears to be essentially a low-carbon martensite.
10 at high magnification shows spheroidize cementite (cohenite) similar t=
o that produced by heat treatment of a low carbon martensitic steel.
17, 18, 19 show steadite bodies with a eutectiform structure; a few of th=
ese were found.
Although we have a long start on this very interesting iron, a good deal =
remains to be done before it can be properly and thoroughly described. am=
ong the things to be done are:
1. An analysis of the iron itself.
2. Micro-chemical analysis to confirm beyond doubt the apparent steadite =
inclusions and the spheroidize carbide.
3. More photomicrographs, perhaps quite a good many of them. These photos=
 were made by my assistant in Ann Arbor and I just told him to take whate=
ver he thought was interesting. He certainly hit the high spots all right=
, but there are numerous small inclusions (steadite or perhaps cohenite) =
which ought to be taken at both low and high magnification; also plessite=
 at high magnification to determine whether they have been altered by reh=
eating (which presumably produced the streadite); groundmass kamacite at =
high magnificatino to determine the nature of heat alteration and the pre=
sence or absence of carbon, ect.
I expect you will want to publish a thorough description of this importan=
t iron, and I should be glad to contribute the metallographic portion of =
it. I should not want to do so, however, without the further investigatio=
n referred to above. It will take some time, and also some money, perhaps=
 $100 or $125 altogether for the lab, work at Ann Arbor is somewhat expen=
sive.
I am wondering whether you would be willing to give me a thin slice off t=
he specimen. It is 7/6" thick on one side and 5/16" on the thinner side, =
so it ought to be possible to remove a very thin slice, which I could wor=
k on to advantage metallographically and which also would furnish materia=
l for analysis. The analysis is a "must", so the specimen will have to be=
 cut somewhere and somehow, and the thin slice would seem to be the best =
procedure. I suppose you can easily do that with your own equipment.
Kindly return the photos, as I have notations on the backs of some of the=
m. Of course you will have a full set of all photos in due time
With warm regards,
Sincerely,
(Stuart Perry - name is missing as this is the file copy. The original se=
nt to Nininger would have been signed =20

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><FONT size=3D2=
> <P>(Stuart Perry to Harvey Nininger letter, Perry's File copy)</P> <P>J=
une 1, 1951</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Dear Nininger:</P> <P>You must be thinki=
ng by this time that I have gone to sleep on the Peru iron, but that is n=
ot the case. I wanted to have Herbenar's interpretation of certain struct=
ures, and after very long delay I now have the date from him, along with =
the photos which I am inclosing to you.</P> <P>The iron is very usual, in=
 fact almost anomalous, because it seems to have a definite iron-carbon s=
tructure and to contain abundant inclusions of steadite -- Fe-Fery-Fe-Fe3=
C-Fe3P eutectite found in artificial irons but which I have never seen ob=
served in a meteoric iron with the exception of the small area in Chester=
ville.</P> <P>Herbenar feels very certain there these strange inclusions =
are Steadite, and that this would be confirmed by microchemical analysis =
-- in other words by selective etching for carbon and phoephorus. To take=
 up a few of the photos -</P> <P>1, 3 to 8, and others, show the strange =
looking streadite inclusions.</P> <P>12 and 14 show the transitory interf=
ace of the inclusions and the diffusion of the carbon into the kamacite.<=
/P> <P>8 and 9 show a structure essentially like a sorbitic structure in =
artificial irons, as in heat-treated low-carbon martensite.</P> <P>16 app=
ears to be essentially a low-carbon martensite.</P> <P>10 at high magnifi=
cation shows spheroidize cementite (cohenite) similar to that produced by=
 heat treatment of a low carbon martensitic steel.</P> <P>17, 18, 19 show=
 steadite bodies with a eutectiform structure; a few of these were found.=
</P> <P>Although we have a long start on this very interesting iron, a go=
od deal remains to be done before it can be properly and thoroughly descr=
ibed. among the things to be done are:</P> <P>1. An analysis of the iron =
itself.</P> <P>2. Micro-chemical analysis to confirm beyond doubt the app=
arent steadite inclusions and the spheroidize carbide.</P> <P>3. More pho=
tomicrographs, perhaps quite a good many of them. These photos were made =
by my assistant in Ann Arbor and I just told him to take whatever he thou=
ght was interesting. He certainly hit the high spots all right, but there=
 are numerous small inclusions (steadite or perhaps cohenite) which ought=
 to be taken at both low and high magnification; also plessite at high ma=
gnification to determine whether they have been altered by reheating (whi=
ch presumably produced the streadite); groundmass kamacite at high magnif=
icatino to determine the nature of heat alteration and the presence or ab=
sence of carbon, ect.</P> <P>I expect you will want to publish a thorough=
 description of this important iron, and I should be glad to contribute t=
he metallographic portion of it. I should not want to do so, however, wit=
hout the further investigation referred to above. It will take some time,=
 and also some money, perhaps $100 or $125 altogether for the lab, work a=
t Ann Arbor is somewhat expensive.</P> <P>I am wondering whether you woul=
d be willing to give me a thin slice off the specimen. It is 7/6" thick o=
n one side and 5/16" on the thinner side, so it ought to be possible to r=
emove a very thin slice, which I could work on to advantage metallographi=
cally and which also would furnish material for analysis. The analysis is=
 a "must", so the specimen will have to be cut somewhere and somehow, and=
 the thin slice would seem to be the best procedure. I suppose you can ea=
sily do that with your own equipment.</P> <P>Kindly return the photos, as=
 I have notations on the backs of some of them. Of course you will have a=
 full set of all photos in due time</P> <P>With warm regards,</P> <P>Sinc=
erely,</P> <P>(Stuart Perry - name is missing as this is the file copy. T=
he original sent to Nininger would have been signed </P></FONT></DIV></BO=
DY></HTML>

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Received on Sat 10 Apr 2004 08:56:11 AM PDT