[meteorite-list] question on performing a nickel test

[al mitterling]

Hi Mike and all,

In Richard Norton's new field guide, he lists some house hold chemicals that 
you can use to preform a nickel test also. I need to look it up and let 
people know which page. Haven't tried it yet but I am sure that Richard 
Norton has.

One other problem with the jewlery nickel test kits I think, is that they 
tend to expire. Don't know if the chemicals have useful life span or not but 
had trouble with one at a show I was doing to show the nickel test result. 
All my best.


--AL Mitterling

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy Korotev" <korotev at wustl.edu>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:19 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] question on performing a nickel test


> Mike:
>
> I've had the same experience.  The problem, I think, is that the DMG test 
> is actually TOO sensitive to nickel.  All meteoritic metal is >5% (50,000 
> ppm) Ni.  Metals with only a few hundred ppm Ni will give a positive 
> result with DMG test, however.  I think many steels and cast irons may 
> have a few hundred ppm Ni.
>
> This subject came up a few years ago on this list and someone (I forget 
> who) mentioned that in his experience, the swab stayed pink quite a bit 
> longer with a real meteorite metal while the pink faded in an hour with 
> "false positives."
>
> Randy Korotev
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> At 14:09 19-12-08 Friday, you wrote:
>>Hi List,
>>
>>If someone has experience with the Allerderm Nickel test and wouldn't
>>mind sharing their knowledge of how to do it...
>>
>>I am attempting to do a nickel test at home here and I ran into a bit
>>of a snag.  I have a piece of iron that most likely is not a piece of
>>meteoritic iron that I was using as a test piece.  I sanded a surface
>>on it, cleaned it with alcohol several times, got out the trusty
>>Allertest NI test kit from Allerderm, placed a drop each of the
>>little bottles onto a cotton swab, and placed that on the cleaned
>>surface of the metal.  Using this piece of iron as a control piece, I
>>wanted to be sure I wasn't doing something in the steps I was using
>>that would cause me to get a false positive.  On this test - test,
>>the swab turned pink quickly.  If I do the exact steps only add in
>>placing a drop of white vinegar on the cleaned surface, wait a couple
>>minutes and then apply the nickel test, I get almost a blood red swab
>>in just the first second.  The first time I did this test and saw
>>this, I thought I had contaminated the surface so I sanded it again
>>down to a fresh surface, cleaned it several times again with alcohol
>>before attempting the nickel test without vinegar.  Second time, same
>>result.  When using a drop of vinegar again, same result - blood red
>>quickly.
>>
>>What am I doing wrong, if anything?  Could I still have contamination
>>on the metal that the sanding and cleaning with alcohol is not removing?
>>
>>Mike in CO
>>______________________________________________
>>http://www.meteoritecentral.com
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>
>
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