[meteorite-list] Nickel test

[Kevin Forbes]

G'day List, just a tad more of something to add to the data pot.

Foundries often cast mining machinery parts using an alloy known at the 
foundry as NiHard.
I worked at a foundry for a while.
NiHard can be made from cast iron with a small amount of new nickel in the 
form of ingot thrown
into the pot and melted, or old NiHard and cast Iron, with less new nickel 
added.
It is very hard and also brittle. Ni content % varies between 0.5% to 10%
And for those out there that do still work in a foundry, don't let the 
fairies get ya..!!!
Don't throw cold lumps of metal into a pot contain molten material, it will 
explode, the molten
material can be thrown up to 30 metres from a small 1 or 2 man pour. 20-60kg 
of material.

And you can also make you own nickel test kit if you obtain a chemical known 
as DMG
or Di-MethylGlyoxime. Make a solution of this DMG in metho (Oz) or 
methylated spirits (de-
natured alcohol U.S.). about 5% strength. Also obtain a bottle of ammonia 
solution from your
hardware store or supermarket. Use a cotton bud and moisten it with the DMG 
solution, 2 drops,
then 2 drops of the ammonia solution, then rub the suspect sample with the 
cotton bud.
If it turns pink, it indicates the presence of Nickel.

DMG = CH3.C(:NOH).C(:NOH).CH3

Ajax chemicals and BDH are supposed to be suppliers of DMG, but after 
several emails, they have
failed to reply. They might still be on holidays, but I have tried this 
several times over a few
months.

BDH

Product Code   Description   Pack Size
100983G   Dimethylglyoxime 'AnalaR'   100G
130463C   Dimethylglyoxime GPR   100G

BDH Australian Distributor

MERCK PTY LTD
A.B.N. 25 005 064 791
207 Colchester Road
Kilsyth
Victoria 3137

TEL:+ 03 9728 5855
Fax:+ 03 9728 7611
Email:merck at merck.com.au
Web:http://www.merck.com.au
Toll free phone (Australia-wide):
Enquiries and Orders: 1800 335 571
(general enquiries):100254.774 at compuserve.com
Technical: 1800 032 900

Ajax DMG 25 grams Product Code  197-25G
Ajax DMG 10 grams Product Code  197-10G

Also if native Iron occurs on Earth why not in the greater cosmos, it is 
just that we have not
yet found any. That doesn't mean it does not exist, only that we have not 
yet found any. It also
seems that using nickel to confirm or dispell something as being meteoric in 
origin, might leave
some very interesting specimens in a rubbish heap as failing the meteorite 
test, when in fact
they are and rare at that. One day it will happen and a great rush will be 
on re-testing old
rubbish, looking for a new treasure, nickle-less meteorites. But I am in the 
same boat as
everyone else, I know of no meteoric Iron with no nickel.
Have I looked, no, I can only say like most of us, if it has nickel in it, 
good chance for it
being a meteorite. How could we test for a meteorite with NO nickel????????

Why does Shirokovsky fail as being meteoric in origin????
Is it a natural deposit? Is their no nickel in it?

Cheers all, Kevin, VK3UKF.



>Thanks to everybody for these clear and detailed
>information.
>
>I use a nickel test kit called "Allertest™ Ni Nickel
>Allergy Kit" (from www.allerderm.com) and never got
>positive results. I tested many suspected iron
>meteorites and always got negative results.
>
>It showed positive results on a common iron meteorite
>I tested.
>
>Maybe it's a good test kit ?
>
>Pierre-Marie PELE
>www.meteor-center.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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