[meteorite-list] Nickel Test

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Hola Pierre!

Bernd mentions a another  Russian enjoyably named rare rock, "Putorana", that 
you would swear looks like a  meteorite, but I thought you'd have to go to a 
special place in Siberia to find  a bit of it and that it was FAR scarcer than 
iron meteorites? ... and is  probably at least as sought after as many iron 
meteorites? ...

I would  add to the list that list of naturally occurring nickel that Ken  
mentions,
Nickel ore in mining is garnierite (silicate), and our friendly  neighborhood 
magnetic PYRRHOTITE (sulfide) which is also found in meteorites,  and the 
very related pentlandite.   These things are commonly mined in  Sudsbury (think 
about that one), and Russia but found on other  continents.

And on the industrial side of your question, Matteo,  regarding whether there 
is nickel in slags and so forth, this is certainly  possible in some 
circumstances, though because nickel costs more, not as  common...keep in mind that 
nickel was discovered in the middle 1700's so  anything manmade predating this 
isn't terribly likely to have  it!

Stainless steel (not as "magnetic" as iron - but still would attract  a 
strong magnet in most cases) has the same amount of nickel as an average iron  
octahedrite, so an old stainless spoon or fork will test positive, as well as a  
knife blade...  But not too old, as the world before 1913 only had a poor  
substitute of stainless steel (without the major component of chromium) from:  
meteorites in select cases.  Iron Meteorites rust more easily than  stainless 
steel, because Chromium is added to the nickel iron, and the  properties of the 
chromium allow a protective and invisible oxide to form  quickly over exposed 
surfaces.

The principal industrial scrap of nickel  would probably be scrap Monel.  
Monel is commonly used in harsh marine  environments, oil rigs, etc., is over 50% 
Nickel (copper and a little  iron)...

There is even a highly magnetic iron-nickel alloy used in  communications 
equipment (odds are not very great you'd ever find  this!)

And if that weren't weren't enough....nickel is a common  constituent in 
magnets!!

Most pot metal and pig iron you find doesn't  have nickel in it ... but it 
clearly could test positive as frequently pot metal  is coated with nickel to 
give it a suggestion of the corrosion resistance that  stainless steel (eg., 
grades 304 or 316, common in silverware or tubing and  fittings)...

Saludos, Doug