[meteorite-list] Nickel Test

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Jan 6 11:03:23 2006
Message-ID: <1d8.4ca31e79.30efeec4_at_aol.com>

Hola Pierre!

Bernd mentions a another Russian enjoyably named rare rock, "Putorana", that
you would swear looks like a meteorite, but I thought you'd have to go to a
special place in Siberia to find a bit of it and that it was FAR scarcer than
iron meteorites? ... and is probably at least as sought after as many iron
meteorites? ...

I would add to the list that list of naturally occurring nickel that Ken
mentions,
Nickel ore in mining is garnierite (silicate), and our friendly neighborhood
magnetic PYRRHOTITE (sulfide) which is also found in meteorites, and the
very related pentlandite. These things are commonly mined in Sudsbury (think
about that one), and Russia but found on other continents.

And on the industrial side of your question, Matteo, regarding whether there
is nickel in slags and so forth, this is certainly possible in some
circumstances, though because nickel costs more, not as common...keep in mind that
nickel was discovered in the middle 1700's so anything manmade predating this
isn't terribly likely to have it!

Stainless steel (not as "magnetic" as iron - but still would attract a
strong magnet in most cases) has the same amount of nickel as an average iron
octahedrite, so an old stainless spoon or fork will test positive, as well as a
knife blade... But not too old, as the world before 1913 only had a poor
substitute of stainless steel (without the major component of chromium) from:
meteorites in select cases. Iron Meteorites rust more easily than stainless
steel, because Chromium is added to the nickel iron, and the properties of the
chromium allow a protective and invisible oxide to form quickly over exposed
surfaces.

The principal industrial scrap of nickel would probably be scrap Monel.
Monel is commonly used in harsh marine environments, oil rigs, etc., is over 50%
Nickel (copper and a little iron)...

There is even a highly magnetic iron-nickel alloy used in communications
equipment (odds are not very great you'd ever find this!)

And if that weren't weren't enough....nickel is a common constituent in
magnets!!

Most pot metal and pig iron you find doesn't have nickel in it ... but it
clearly could test positive as frequently pot metal is coated with nickel to
give it a suggestion of the corrosion resistance that stainless steel (eg.,
grades 304 or 316, common in silverware or tubing and fittings)...

Saludos, Doug
Received on Fri 06 Jan 2006 11:03:16 AM PST