[meteorite-list] Shirokovsky..Answer

[Paul H]

on July 18, 2005, Marcin quoted from previous post:
>
>>I think a few (including myself) may have 
>>believed a man-made origin after seeing 
>>that pic. Whether it was deliberately 
>>manufactured or a by-product of an 
>>industrial process..... well..... I guess we 
>>will probably never know. 

Marcin wrote:

>Jeff, list... 
>After this photos I think noone can have any 
>doubts if this is natural or man-made product. 
> Http://www.meteoryt.net/ebay/shiro1.jpg 
> Http://www.meteoryt.net/ebay/shiro2.jpg 
> Http://www.meteoryt.net/ebay/shiro3.jpg 
> Http://www.meteoryt.net/ebay/shiro4.jpg 
> Http://www.meteoryt.net/ebay/close-up.jpg 
>
>Grey surface is iron that become mat after 
>etching in normal 10% solution. No any 
>visible etching pattern. White squares is as I 
>belive not dissolved nickel pieces that fall 
>down to bottom and not have time to 
>disolve in iron-olivine solution. 

After I forwarded pictures of non-etched 
slices of Shirokovsky and compositional data 
concerning the lithic fragments found in its 
iron-nickel matrix  to a metallurgist friend, 
who prefers to remain nameless, I received 
this comment:

"Based on the information given I would 
concur that this is a man-made material, 
probably derived from a furnace and quite 
possibly part of a furnace lining, i.e. a 
refractory brick that has been strongly 
altered by reaction with the molten contents 
of the furnace. This is supported by the
very iron-rich composition of the olivine 
and the presence of magnesiowustite and 
magnesioferrite. This conclusion is also 
supported by the reported "eutectic" nature 
of the metal-oxide intergrowth."

Best Regards,

Paul
Baton Rouge, LA


		
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