[meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( HEAT TESTING of TEKTITES)

Fri Aug 27 13:07:03 EDT 2010

Hi Brian, Carl et. al.

Thanks for the interesting info and things to ponder.  It certainly is a subject 
I need to learn more about, and now I have some tests I can try on the glass 
at Holbrook.  On another note, can anybody recommend a good, general book 
regarding the subject of tektites.

Happy hunting,
Mark B.
Vail, AZ

----- Original Message ----
From: BRIAN SCHROEDER <brian at aajewel.com>
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Fri, August 27, 2010 2:23:57 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( HEAT TESTING of TEKTITES)

Greetings to Dennis, Mark and List Members
HEAT TESTING OF TEKTITE
Aubrey has some good & interesting observations concerning Testing Tektites on 
his sight    http://www.tektites.co.uk/tektite-tests.html

Personally , I have access to professional Glass Blowers with tons of 
experience.. They work with Common , Borosilicate ( Pyrex ) and Dichroic 
Glasses.
All types of Glass have different melting temperatures , and working together 
with the Top Production planner ( Brent ) who is versed in Heats and Flames 
required for melting these various types of glass, we set about to Heat Test 
Several Types of Tektite. Temperature is KEY to observations. Brent  was aware 
of our goals and took time to test various temperatures as well as using test 
pieces and had far more information than I am able to convey simply. Lets just 
say that Coefficient of Expansion, Coloration and other physical properties were 
also in question during our tests.

Glass melts at a relatively LOW Temperature, about 485 Centigrade /  900  
Degrees Fahrenheit  ( Varies with the amount and types of Alloys in the glass )

Bolorsilicate ( Pyrex ) at about 820 Centigrade / 1,510  Degrees Fahrenheit
Thailandites, Philippinite , Moldavite and Quartz Glass melt at about  1,665 
Centigrade / 3,029 Degrees Fahrenheit

Libyan Desert Glass - we took it up to 1,815 Centigrade / 3,300 Degrees 
Fahrenheit and it was tacky on the surface , BUT did not Melt, as my friend 
stated "it is laughing at us"... We are still looking for a hotter Hydrogen 
Flame Unit to see what the actual melting point is.

Darwin Glass - I have yet to test it, I forgot to bring samples. Maybe soon...
Obsidian explodes when heated quickly.

SO - it is easy to eliminate an Obsidian as a Tektite , just by throwing alot of 
heat at it quickly.
Glass and Borosilicate varies from Tektites , easily, by applying heat to 
samples of each set side by side, see what melts first .. Don't worry about 
destroying the Tektite , it will be safe since the glass will melt much sooner 
than any tektite, and if the Tektite melts at the same temperature as Glass ?? 
It was not a Tektite.
Quartz Glass is rare and to find a piece while looking for Tektites is just to 
unlikely to ever happen.

The reason Tektites can withstand such High Heat is that the impurities that 
allow Glass to melt at lower temperatures have been Burnt out of them already.
MY THEORY:
Thailandites, Philippinite and Darwin Glass have coloration from the residue 
left by these Burnt off elements. Heavily contaminated.
Moldavite also gets its coloration from the Burnt off elements. Less 
Contamination
Libyan Desert Glass is very clean and was intensely heated to remove even the 
residual left by burning off impurities. Minimal Contamination.

Highest Regards to All
Brian S.  IMCA  # 7381
http://stores.ebay.ca/AAJEWELCOM

> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:15:36 -0400
> From: <cdtucson at cox.net>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( Magnet canes are evil)
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com, Dennis Miller <astroroks at hotmail.com>, 
>Mark Bowling <minador at yahoo.com>
> 
> Dennis, Mark,List,
> Interesting you mention finding rocks that resemble certain tektites. You 
>describe them as looking translucent and weathered with a tektite texture.
> Years ago I found what I thought was a strewnfield of tektites in Southern AZ.
> They too looked like what you found.
> I took them to ASU and Dr. Moore had his assistant attempt to melt one of 
them.
> He explained that a true tektite would simply melt like glass similar to the 
>way a glass blower melts glass.
> If however it gets frothy and white it is not a tektite but likely natural 
>obsidian glass. This had something to do with the amount of water. Apparently 
>tektites are much dryer than obsidian.
> Well, they tested frothy and therefore deemed to be sand blasted obsidian. I 
>believe he also said they are not magnetic. Some of mine were magnetic others 
>were not.
> Curiously, I have since found that Surf-tumbled Sea glass has exactly the same 
>appearance as these  sand blasted obsidian orbs I found in the desert. The only 
>difference is that sea glass does melt like tektites so, the melting test does 
>not work on them.
> In fact other than the flanged buttons, to me many of the "Tektites" look more 
>like Sea-glass than anything else.
> If you are unaware of it. Sea glass is largely a product of surf tumbled glass 
>that has been littered or discarded by human activity in the past.
> If you Google it there are lots of people selling it.
> What I found looks like either Columbianite or Georgia Tektite. two different 
>looking types all in the same find area.
> Really Makes me wonder about the true origin of Tektites.
> Carl
> --
> Carl or Debbie Esparza
> Meteoritemax
> 
> 
> ---- Mark Bowling <minador at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Dennis,
> > I have found?tiny glass spherules in some areas along the tracks - lots of
> > them.? I think it's welding slag from RR operations.? I was pretty excited 
>until
> > someone suggested it (I never had them tested, but?hard to believe folks 
>would
> > overlook something significant until me...).?
> > Nothing as big as you mention (other than the marbles we occasionally
> > find).???In other places I?have found weathered obsidian which often has a
> > tektite texture (though not the same).? I think it's caused by solution
> > weathering.
> > I have a magnet cane, but I never used it to pick up a meteorite.? It's just 
>a
> > fashion statement I guess (peer pressure).? ;-)
> >
> > Mark B.
> > Vail, AZ
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Dennis Miller <astroroks at hotmail.com>
> > To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > Sent: Tue, August 24, 2010 3:08:13 PM
> > Subject: [meteorite-list] FW: Magnet canes are evil
> >
> > > My modified ski pole (with Magnet) is more a walking stick and snake 
>flipper!
> > > I have a question, Has anyone ever found small tektites around the 
>Holbrook?
> > > I know if there were, that they were not the result of the Holbrook 
>splatter.
> > > While there Sunday, I found what is either an egg shaped (5/8") obsidian 
>ball
> > > or a tektite of sort. Light will pass through it but it has an unusual
> > textured skin. I have seen a lot of Apache tears (obsidian orbs) but none 
>like this little guy.
> > > Carrying a big stick at all times.
> > > Dennis Miller
> > >
> > >
> > > > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:10:10 -0700
> > > > From: ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com
> > > > To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Magnet canes are evil

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