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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2015 15:35:08 GMT -5
catmandewe's BBQ I had the distinct pleasure to meet stoner. Ed had a huge hunk of metal (40#'ish) that looked like a rock, but the weight caught Ed's attention. He bought it from a garage sale (correct me if I am wrong, Ed) and brought it to Q. In doing early diagnostic work a corner was chipped off. That corner was then scratch tested, no scratch with steel. And also heated to red hot with a torch, no change accept a black oxide coat. The stone is non-magnetic. I was fortunate enough to be able to be gifted the corner chunk. I carry it in my pocket for good luck. Using my powder scale I got accurate weights The piece is 28.11 grams and under water it displaced 4.11 grams of water giving us a specific gravity of 6.84. Streak is grey. The pink thread and white stain are the fiber from the thread and the wax I used to attach it to the stone for SG test. No doubt this specimen is not pure. Here are some SG's of pure metals Iron and cobalt are left out for being magnetic. Manganese = 7.21-7.44 is a likely candidate for the major constituent. Chromium = 7.19 Nickel = 8.90 Molybdenum = 10.22 It's is certainly not: copper is wrong color and too soft bismuth is too soft lead is too soft magnesium is too light tungsten is triple this SG so too heavy to be major component Zinc is close in SG at 6.9-7.2 but it oxides when heated to a fluffy white powder, this sample did not do so. I also ignored all rare earths and other uncommon metals. This could be a mistake. I am voting for manganese. The oxide coating is black. But a Mohs of 5 on one website may be my downfall. Ed, thanks for letting me play. What is total weight? Image courtesy of lparker Lee #1
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Jan 31, 2015 19:57:36 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2015 20:16:15 GMT -5
Got it Lee. added to OP
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Post by catmandewe on Jan 31, 2015 22:49:39 GMT -5
The saw blade we used to cut the chunk was dead afterwards, so that may be a factor in deciding what it is. I put a chunk of plasma agate in to cut a slice off of and it ran all night long and only cut approx 2 or 3 inches into the piece. I replaced the blade the next day and cut the plasma agate in about 15 minutes.
Tony
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Post by snowmom on Feb 1, 2015 7:21:48 GMT -5
fascinating, did anybody get photos of the other sides and the bottom? No idea where it came from originally? watching with interest!
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Feb 1, 2015 8:50:20 GMT -5
Looked like that all over on the outside.
Lee #1
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Feb 1, 2015 9:02:04 GMT -5
maybe ferrosilicon - the SG is right. (if feSi is non-magnetic) - never mind - it's magnetic. Lee #1
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 9:07:47 GMT -5
The shape of it almost looks like it is a crystal of some kind. Lots of interest here. Really strange rock. Jim
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Post by orrum on Feb 1, 2015 10:07:57 GMT -5
What happened to the shrapnel from depleted uranium metal theory???
Don't forget Tony how fast the saw cut thru the object? It was like cutting a really soft rock.
Hmmm.... Object.... Ooooowaaahoooo it's extrterrestial!!!
OK I am going with alien spaceship fragment that crashed here and caused the dina said death apocalypse all across the world!!!!
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Post by orrum on Feb 1, 2015 10:09:12 GMT -5
Depleted uranium armour made from aluminum maybe??? Is that magnetic???
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 1, 2015 12:06:45 GMT -5
@shotgunner, I think lparker may be right in his call for ferrosilicon, or maybe it's a ferro alloy. Pyrolusite's SG is much lower. www.reade.com/resources/reference-charts-particle-property-briefings/88-specific-gravity-table-metals-minerals-ceramics-substance- From another forum where a member asked for an unknown mineral that did not have a streak and was later id'd as ferrosilicon: mcrocks.websitetoolbox.com/post/anyone-know-what-this-is-5981757?trail=140Found some other stuff about ferrosilicon production and metallurgy with test samples performed on one sample, which may explain why your piece doesn't show magnetism: "Ferrosilicon compositions vary according to the purpose. One bulk analysis (Morsi et al., 2002) of ferrosilicon is as follows; Si (74.8%), Fe (23.36%), C (0.09%), Ca (0.31%), S (0.003%), P (0.031%) and Al (1.41%, total 100.004%). The silica raw material for ferrosilicon production is typically quartz sand or quartzite: industry standards are set for common impurities, including iron and aluminium. The main raw materials of ferrosilicon are quartzite and reductants - Fe is added as steel scrap or high-grade Fe ore or pellets. The raw materials and the processing impart a variety of impurities. Thus SiC inclusions typically contribute 0.15-0.20% C in the product (Committee on Raw Materials, 1987). Sample 2222 has a bulk composition near 75 wt.% Fe, 18 wt.% Fe and 7 wt.% Ti, plus traces of P, S and other elements." Source: www.turnstone.ca/silicide.htmAn interesting website on "meteor-wrongs" and a couple of ferro alloys meteorite-recovery.tripod.com/2009/jul09.htmIf you look for information on ferro alloys, maybe that will help narrow down the mystery metal. Found a pdf with ferro alloy melting temperatures listed that are very close to your findings of 6.84 (around 6.35 for a couple of the ferro alloys), but cannot link to the pdf with Firefox. Using magnetism on minerals for id'ing: www.galleries.com/minerals/property/magnetis.htm
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2015 12:41:54 GMT -5
Looks like slag from cast iron production. Cast iron is difficult to cut with anything.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 13:31:18 GMT -5
gingerkidmaybe ferrosilicon - the SG is right. (if feSi is non-magnetic) - never mind - it's magnetic. Lee #1
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 13:32:13 GMT -5
Looks like slag from cast iron production. Cast iron is difficult to cut with anything. Not magnetic. Thanks for trying.
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 1, 2015 13:35:57 GMT -5
@shotgunner, I don't have a clue, but from the previous post: Found some other stuff about ferrosilicon production and metallurgy with test samples performed on one sample, which may explain why your piece doesn't show magnetism: "Ferrosilicon compositions vary according to the purpose. One bulk analysis (Morsi et al., 2002) of ferrosilicon is as follows; Si (74.8%), Fe (23.36%), C (0.09%), Ca (0.31%), S (0.003%), P (0.031%) and Al (1.41%, total 100.004%). The silica raw material for ferrosilicon production is typically quartz sand or quartzite: industry standards are set for common impurities, including iron and aluminium. The main raw materials of ferrosilicon are quartzite and reductants - Fe is added as steel scrap or high-grade Fe ore or pellets. The raw materials and the processing impart a variety of impurities. Thus SiC inclusions typically contribute 0.15-0.20% C in the product (Committee on Raw Materials, 1987). Sample 2222 has a bulk composition near 75 wt.% Fe, 18 wt.% Fe and 7 wt.% Ti, plus traces of P, S and other elements." Source: www.turnstone.ca/silicide.htmUsing magnetism on minerals for id'ing: www.galleries.com/minerals/property/magnetis.htm
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 13:39:54 GMT -5
Added streak to original post.
Streak is grey.
Could it be silicon? nope. SG us way too high.
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 1, 2015 13:42:05 GMT -5
Ferrosilicon has a gray streak, @shotgunner.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 13:43:17 GMT -5
Ferrosilicon has a gray streak, @shotgunner. And is magnetic. This material is not magnetic.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2015 13:47:44 GMT -5
Looks like slag from cast iron production. Cast iron is difficult to cut with anything. Not magnetic. Thanks for trying. Got you. Answers that one.
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 1, 2015 13:58:16 GMT -5
And is magnetic. This material is not magnetic. Thanks, @shotgunner, I thought maybe the sample piece mentioned in the article I linked may not exhibit much magnetism since it contained 23% of iron, but guess it would show magnetism?: "industry standards are set for common impurities, including iron and aluminium." I hope you find out what it is!
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