[meteorite-list] question on performing a nickel test
From: Randy Korotev <korotev_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:19:02 -0600 Message-ID: <200812201917.mBKJHjh09062_at_levee.wustl.edu> Mike: I've had the same experience. The problem, I think, is that the DMG test is actually TOO sensitive to nickel. All meteoritic metal is >5% (50,000 ppm) Ni. Metals with only a few hundred ppm Ni will give a positive result with DMG test, however. I think many steels and cast irons may have a few hundred ppm Ni. This subject came up a few years ago on this list and someone (I forget who) mentioned that in his experience, the swab stayed pink quite a bit longer with a real meteorite metal while the pink faded in an hour with "false positives." Randy Korotev At 14:09 19-12-08 Friday, you wrote: >Hi List, > >If someone has experience with the Allerderm Nickel test and wouldn't >mind sharing their knowledge of how to do it... > >I am attempting to do a nickel test at home here and I ran into a bit >of a snag. I have a piece of iron that most likely is not a piece of >meteoritic iron that I was using as a test piece. I sanded a surface >on it, cleaned it with alcohol several times, got out the trusty >Allertest NI test kit from Allerderm, placed a drop each of the >little bottles onto a cotton swab, and placed that on the cleaned >surface of the metal. Using this piece of iron as a control piece, I >wanted to be sure I wasn't doing something in the steps I was using >that would cause me to get a false positive. On this test - test, >the swab turned pink quickly. If I do the exact steps only add in >placing a drop of white vinegar on the cleaned surface, wait a couple >minutes and then apply the nickel test, I get almost a blood red swab >in just the first second. The first time I did this test and saw >this, I thought I had contaminated the surface so I sanded it again >down to a fresh surface, cleaned it several times again with alcohol >before attempting the nickel test without vinegar. Second time, same >result. When using a drop of vinegar again, same result - blood red >quickly. > >What am I doing wrong, if anything? Could I still have contamination >on the metal that the sanding and cleaning with alcohol is not removing? > >Mike in CO >______________________________________________ >http://www.meteoritecentral.com >Meteorite-list mailing list >Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > Received on Sat 20 Dec 2008 02:19:02 PM PST |
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