[meteorite-list] Brahin & co

[Zelimir Gabelica]

Hi List,

Jörn wrote:

"Alcohol is only good for pulling off liquid water from a specimen after it 
has been dipped in water. Even then, the specimen has to be dried in an 
oven to get the remaining humidity off".

Here is a tip of an old timer chemist.
To remove alcohol (ethanol) that was used in a preliminary step to remove 
water, pull the sample in di-ethyl ether first. Ethanol being miscible in 
ether, it will get readily admixed with it and easily removed through 
evaporation, along with (major) ether that is highly volatile. The last 
races of volatile ether are then be more readily removed through gentle 
heating.

Back to Brahin, I totally agree with your comments about Esquel and Imilac. 
Perhaps we can add here Springwater as well (my very old slice once traded 
by...NIninger, is still fresh as new, with no protection, in humid 
Belgium...).
After 2 bad experiences with Brahin, I opted the solution proposed by 
Martin. My epoxy-sealed Brahin is, since 1999, as new. Just sad not being 
able to fondle it...

Marcin, thanks for your tips about Dronino. I may buy some oil from you soon.
But my Dronino from Sergey Vassiliev however proved remarkably stable, 
still without protection, since now almost 3 years...

This is as for some other meterites: it could depend on the exact place of 
the parent chunk where the slice was cut from.
There could be stable and labile Droninos as there are "poorly stable" and 
even "less poorly stable" Brahins....

Best wishes,

Zelimir



Prof. Zelimir Gabelica
Université de Haute Alsace
ENSCMu, Lab. GSEC,
3, Rue A. Werner,
F-68093 Mulhouse Cedex, France
Tel: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 94
Fax: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 15