[meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( HEAT TESTING of TEKTITES)

From: BRIAN SCHROEDER <brian_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:23:57 -0700
Message-ID: <bcdf85$12r7v3_at_ruhk-012.totisp.net>

Greetings to Dennis, Mark and List Members
HEAT TESTING OF TEKTITE
Aubrey has some good & interesting observations concerning Testing
Tektites on his sight http://www.tektites.co.uk/tektite-tests.html

Personally , I have access to professional Glass Blowers with tons of
experience.. They work with Common , Borosilicate ( Pyrex ) and
Dichroic Glasses.
All types of Glass have different melting temperatures , and working
together with the Top Production planner ( Brent ) who is versed in
Heats and Flames required for melting these various types of glass,
we set about to Heat Test Several Types of Tektite. Temperature is
KEY to observations. Brent was aware of our goals and took time to
test various temperatures as well as using test pieces and had far
more information than I am able to convey simply. Lets just say that
Coefficient of Expansion, Coloration and other physical properties
were also in question during our tests.

Glass melts at a relatively LOW Temperature, about 485 Centigrade
/ 900 Degrees Fahrenheit ( Varies with the amount and types of
Alloys in the glass )

Bolorsilicate ( Pyrex ) at about 820 Centigrade / 1,510 Degrees Fahrenheit
Thailandites, Philippinite , Moldavite and Quartz Glass melt at
about 1,665 Centigrade / 3,029 Degrees Fahrenheit

Libyan Desert Glass - we took it up to 1,815 Centigrade / 3,300
Degrees Fahrenheit and it was tacky on the surface , BUT did not
Melt, as my friend stated "it is laughing at us"... We are still
looking for a hotter Hydrogen Flame Unit to see what the actual
melting point is.

Darwin Glass - I have yet to test it, I forgot to bring samples. Maybe soon...
Obsidian explodes when heated quickly.

SO - it is easy to eliminate an Obsidian as a Tektite , just by
throwing alot of heat at it quickly.
Glass and Borosilicate varies from Tektites , easily, by applying
heat to samples of each set side by side, see what melts first ..
Don't worry about destroying the Tektite , it will be safe since the
glass will melt much sooner than any tektite, and if the Tektite
melts at the same temperature as Glass ?? It was not a Tektite.
Quartz Glass is rare and to find a piece while looking for Tektites
is just to unlikely to ever happen.

The reason Tektites can withstand such High Heat is that the
impurities that allow Glass to melt at lower temperatures have been
Burnt out of them already.
MY THEORY:
Thailandites, Philippinite and Darwin Glass have coloration from the
residue left by these Burnt off elements. Heavily contaminated.
Moldavite also gets its coloration from the Burnt off elements. Less
Contamination
Libyan Desert Glass is very clean and was intensely heated to remove
even the residual left by burning off impurities. Minimal Contamination.

Highest Regards to All
Brian S. IMCA # 7381
http://stores.ebay.ca/AAJEWELCOM



>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:15:36 -0400
>From: <cdtucson at cox.net>
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( Magnet canes are evil)
>To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com, Dennis Miller
><astroroks at hotmail.com>, Mark Bowling <minador at yahoo.com>
>
>Dennis, Mark,List,
>Interesting you mention finding rocks that resemble certain
>tektites. You describe them as looking translucent and weathered
>with a tektite texture.
>Years ago I found what I thought was a strewnfield of tektites in
>Southern AZ.
>They too looked like what you found.
>I took them to ASU and Dr. Moore had his assistant attempt to melt
>one of them.
>He explained that a true tektite would simply melt like glass
>similar to the way a glass blower melts glass.
>If however it gets frothy and white it is not a tektite but likely
>natural obsidian glass. This had something to do with the amount of
>water. Apparently tektites are much dryer than obsidian.
>Well, they tested frothy and therefore deemed to be sand blasted
>obsidian. I believe he also said they are not magnetic. Some of mine
>were magnetic others were not.
>Curiously, I have since found that Surf-tumbled Sea glass has
>exactly the same appearance as these sand blasted obsidian orbs I
>found in the desert. The only difference is that sea glass does melt
>like tektites so, the melting test does not work on them.
>In fact other than the flanged buttons, to me many of the "Tektites"
>look more like Sea-glass than anything else.
>If you are unaware of it. Sea glass is largely a product of surf
>tumbled glass that has been littered or discarded by human activity
>in the past.
>If you Google it there are lots of people selling it.
>What I found looks like either Columbianite or Georgia Tektite. two
>different looking types all in the same find area.
>Really Makes me wonder about the true origin of Tektites.
>Carl
>--
>Carl or Debbie Esparza
>Meteoritemax
>
>
>---- Mark Bowling <minador at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Dennis,
> > I have found?tiny glass spherules in some areas along the tracks - lots of
> > them.? I think it's welding slag from RR operations.? I was
> pretty excited until
> > someone suggested it (I never had them tested, but?hard to
> believe folks would
> > overlook something significant until me...).?
> > Nothing as big as you mention (other than the marbles we occasionally
> > find).???In other places I?have found weathered obsidian which often has a
> > tektite texture (though not the same).? I think it's caused by solution
> > weathering.
> > I have a magnet cane, but I never used it to pick up a
> meteorite.? It's just a
> > fashion statement I guess (peer pressure).? ;-)
> >
> > Mark B.
> > Vail, AZ
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Dennis Miller <astroroks at hotmail.com>
> > To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > Sent: Tue, August 24, 2010 3:08:13 PM
> > Subject: [meteorite-list] FW: Magnet canes are evil
> >
> > > My modified ski pole (with Magnet) is more a walking stick and
> snake flipper!
> > > I have a question, Has anyone ever found small tektites around
> the Holbrook?
> > > I know if there were, that they were not the result of the
> Holbrook splatter.
> > > While there Sunday, I found what is either an egg shaped (5/8")
> obsidian ball
> > > or a tektite of sort. Light will pass through it but it has an unusual
> > textured skin. I have seen a lot of Apache tears (obsidian orbs)
> but none like this little guy.
> > > Carrying a big stick at all times.
> > > Dennis Miller
> > >
> > >
> > > > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:10:10 -0700
> > > > From: ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com
> > > > To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Magnet canes are evil

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Received on Fri 27 Aug 2010 05:23:57 AM PDT