[meteorite-list] Brenham Instability Myth

From: McCartney Taylor <mccartney_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Nov 6 16:42:08 2006
Message-ID: <1162849319.11450.25.camel_at_Game-machine>

As long as Ghubara stability is being knocked around, I'd like to
address Brenham. I'm currently writing a paper on the stability of
Brenham, and thought I reveal a quick peek here on how this pallasite is
actually stable.

Brenham has acquired a bad reputation on stability. This reputation is
more myth than fact. The myth really began with the 'meteorerodes'
Nininger excavated from the alleged 'Haviland crater'. These meteorites
were soaked in a nickle-leaching, electrolysis accelerating soup for
10,000+ years. Corrosion had already advanced to a point of leaving
shale balls. Nininger then shared these rotten pallasites with other
institutions. So the myth began...

 Yet, a few hundred yards away, rock stable Brenhams were found (the 750
pounder). Hint-don't buy water logged pallasites.

Several collectors have stable Brenhams, some with and some without
sealing. So empirical evidence supports this conclusion.

My paper will address the fundamental corrosion of all iron meteorites,
including Brenham. In a nutshell, its all about water and oxygen.
Brenham is not a chloride attacked meteorite. It is complicated by
sulfides that induce an electrolytic effect. Brenham has a higher
porosity between the olivine and metal. If the natural soil moisture
water is not removed effectively, they will rust. If it is removed,
then properly sealed from Oxy and water, it's rock stable. Even the
unaltered core of a badly eroded 'meteorerode' will be stable after
being desiccated by vacuum then impregnate sealed with Opticon.

Anyone who doesn't seal their irons from Oxy and water is playing dice
against time. You will lose eventually. Be it Esquel or Canyon Diablo.
Just don't blame the iron for rusting because you didn't seal it. We
have enough myths in this business as it is.

McCartney Taylor, IMCA 2670
Received on Mon 06 Nov 2006 04:41:59 PM PST