[meteorite-list] Gold and Iridium content of meteorites (especially irons)

From: MexicoDoug <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 21:05:13 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <8CE5048CDDE735D-2AD4-EAA7_at_web-mmc-m05.sysops.aol.com>

...so when we get tough going people will start melting down their
meteorites for precious metals.

Gold is currently US $50-$60/g.

The example you quoted of 0.15% gold, if true (sounds high, but why
not, are you sure they weren't micro grams being a factor of 1000 even
smaller than you say?) would mean you need to buy about 650 g of this
meteorite to extract a gram of gold. So if the meteorite is $5/g you
have to pay 60 times the value of the gold just to get the raw
material. Then you have to extract it.

It would be a bitch to extract it. The sulfides would tangle the gold
all up in conventional extration processes.

It would be easier to make micros out of a nice meteorite rather than
re-invent the Butcher iron!

Hope that gives a bit of insight!

Kindest wishes
Doug

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
To: meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Mon, Oct 3, 2011 8:40 pm
Subject: [meteorite-list] Gold and Iridium content of meteorites
(especially irons)


Hi List,

In perusing through the latest additions to the Met Bulletin today, I
was reading the compositional data for NWA 6932 (iron, ungrouped). I
noticed that the gold (Au) content was listed at 1.49mg/g. Is this
sort of data as straight-forward as it appears, or is there more to it
that this layman is missing? In other words, how much gold is in this
meteorite? The TKW of this meteorite is 32kg. So, with 1000g in a
kilo, and 1000mg in a gram, how much gold is in this celestial hunk of
iron? (my math is horrible)

Second question, what is highest known gold content in a meteorite and
what meteorite is it?

Third question, some meteorites also have high iridium content. What
is the highest known iridium content in a meteorite?

I am not suggesting in any way that meteorites should be refined or
melted down to extract their precious metals content, but given the
high value of metals such as gold and iridium, has any profiteer tried
such an endeavour? Or would the process be too complex and expensive?

Best regards,

MikeG

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Received on Mon 03 Oct 2011 09:05:13 PM PDT