[meteorite-list] Caliche

[branchw at bellsouth.net]

Hi Mark,

Yes, I was under the impression that Gardners in the, for example, desert SW
US hated this stuff because it was so difficult to penetrate (cement-like)
and that water would not penetrate it.

I started using a dental pick and brass brush on a whopper 7 lb NWA 869 I
got from Dean (thanks Dean, the meteorite is great).  I will now use a
combination of the dental pick and a drop or two of acetic acid and see how
that goes on those tough spots.  There is something therapeutic about
cleaning meteorites (strange, I know).

I have gotten some really nice and inexpensive specimens in recent months.
I need to post some (YAWN) pictures.

-Walter
---------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MarkF" <mafer at imagineopals.com>
To: "Walter Branch" <branchw at bellsouth.net>
Cc: "meteor list" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 6:45 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Caliche


> Hi Walter
>
> I'm surprised this question hasn't come up more often. Its a common
problem
> in paleo and archaeo dig sites and of course, they will most often have
some
> undergrad attack it with dental picks and such so as to not loose any of
the
> specimen, but other methods are usable for calcium carbonates, depending
on
> your desire to attack it. Acetic acid would be one option, and although
> water is the solvent which put it there in the first place, its often
slow.
> There are better acids for such, and I  believe I heard someone say they
> used one of those products you mentioned like lime away or clr. But on any
> of these chemical removals, it sure wouldn't want to be done on something
to
> be studied as there surely will be some interaction with the specimen.
> Mark
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Walter Branch" <branchw at bellsouth.net>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 11:11 AM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Caliche
>
>
> > Hello Everyone,
> >
> > Speaking of Caliche...
> >
> > Does the Caliche (form of calcium carbonate) that we sometimes see on
> > desert
> > meteorites replace the fusion crust that is present or does it form a
> > layer
> > over the crust?
> >
> > -Walter
> >
> >
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>
>