Refining iridium Ore

[BlackLabel]

Look here at this stone artifact... Notice the pebbles lodged into the top?

Have you ever considered it could be a "limonite concretion"?

 

[stella polaris]

Levs, in order to make you happy its worth mentioning that this type of minerals often are fund together with gold. You have a good chance that they been mining gold not far from the dumpsite. If I would be you I would go back and look for the place it comes from. You do have a serious gold chance in the area.

 

[olawlor]

How does the ore react to a magnet? If it's mostly iron, it will be strongly attracted to a magnet. If it's arsenic or a sulfide it won't.

How does it react to a sledgehammer? If it's mostly metal it will bend before breaking. If it's a sulfide it will just break.

I'd expect 5-30% nickel and zero copper in an iron meteorite XRF.

 

[levs]

Have you ever considered it could be a "limonite concretion"?

Acids would reduce this rather rapidly, yes?

 

[levs]

How does the ore react to a magnet? If it's mostly iron, it will be strongly attracted to a magnet. If it's arsenic or a sulfide it won't.

How does it react to a sledgehammer? If it's mostly metal it will bend before breaking. If it's a sulfide it will just break.

I'd expect 5-30% nickel and zero copper in an iron meteorite XRF.

Meteorites that have reached curie point won't have magnetism

 

[levs]

Levs, in order to make you happy its worth mentioning that this type of minerals often are fund together with gold. You have a good chance that they been mining gold not far from the dumpsite. If I would be you I would go back and look for the place it comes from. You do have a serious gold chance in the area.

Stella I appreciate the fellowship attitude :]

Guys what I'm doing is very simple I take a bucket... Fill it with dirt.. Slosh off the mud and then analyze ever single stone and rock...

 

[levs]

The shapes of some them are very inspiring

Its worth noting that the history of the location these were found have classically been a bad place to 'mine' because it has been seen as a hostile area in the colonial western era..

 

[levs]

Heres some microscope photos of where i used a dremel to shave off a little bit...

 

[BlackLabel]

Acids would reduce this rather rapidly, yes?

Depending on your acid, you'll get a dirty solution and sand/mud.

 

[Yggdrasil]

The shapes of some them are very inspiring

Its worth noting that the history of the location these were found have classically been a bad place to 'mine' because it has been seen as a hostile area in the colonial western era..

These seems to have been formed in water, so still Testing is the word.

 

[olawlor]

Meteorites that have reached curie point won't have magnetism

Fun science experiment you can try:
(1) A magnet attracts an iron nail.
(2) Put it on a brick and heat the nail to a cherry red hot. The magnet now ignores the nail, and vice versa. (Handy for verifying you've fully converted steel to austenite before quenching.)
(3) Cool the nail back to room temperature. The magnet now works again.

Any 99% iron metallic alloy I have encountered, at room temperature, *will* be attracted to a magnet. Iron is still ferromagnetic even when it doesn't have a permanent magnetic field (because, for example, it has exceeded its Curie point).

That last "inspiring" picture looks like a pyritized fossil shell, a neat find!

 

[stella polaris]

Levs, leave out the acid til you knows positively its not arsenopyrite you have. it can create dangerous fumes people have died from.

 

[stella polaris]

Black Label seems right in his suggestion

Arsenopyrite oxides to Scorodite that oxides to Limonite.

Limonite matches to the larger pieces on Levs photos. It have been used as a iron ore in old days.

Levs probably have all stages present in his heap. Iridium can be dropped.

Ref: Science Direct

 

[galenrog]

I commented early in this thread, but thought I should chime in again.

1: There are no meteorites in any of the images provided. Absolutely no visual characteristics at all. Any meteorite that is metallic in nature is attracted to magnets. There are NO KNOWN EXCEPTIONS.

2: Many of your images are Limonite nodules.

3: Any Iriduim identified by the XRF device you are using is actually Arsenic. This has been discussed many times on the Forum.
You have presented your opinions, but no evidence to corroborate those opinions.

Still time for more coffee.

 

[levs]

No its iridium and it's an iridium concentrated button that fell out of the bottom of the crucible ... The quackademics have spoke and the quackademics are wrong

 

[Yggdrasil]

No its iridium and it's an iridium concentrated button that fell out of the bottom of the crucible ... The quackademics have spoke and the quackademics are wrong

Watch your language if you want to stay.
You are the one that needs to show some evidence, but have shown nothing yet.

 

[levs]

Yes they become magnetic after the crucible melts the iron

 

[levs]

Clearly can see copper can be seen here in these half smelted samples

 

[Yggdrasil]

Yes they become magnetic after the crucible melts the iron

Please reply to the post you are commenting, it is hard to guess which post you are referring to.
And the one you are holding have never been melted as far as I can see it, at least not in a crucible.

 

[levs]

Curcible