found hidden can of crushed ore

[Colo Steve]

Hi everyone! I am new to the forum. I went out metaldetecting at an old gold mine and found an old paint can type of can buried under an overhang of a huge rock. it is all rusty on the outside but when I opened the can it was shiny new on the inside. It is full of what looks like crushed ore. The ore has an extra strong sulfer smell. I put a spoonfull into my gold pan that had about the same amount of water in it. The ore started to sizzle. Could this be a sulfide ore? I have not done any other testing to it as i'm not sure what I have.

 

[Harold_V]

Why it would sizzle is a mystery to me.

Does it have a dull grey/white appearance? Do you find it to be rather soft, with some hard particles within? If so, if you abrade the particles, can you see a dark gray color underneath the light gray exterior (assuming that matches the description of your find)?

What it sounds like is old calcium carbide, which has slowly broken down, yielding acetylene gas. While it doesn't have a sulfide smell, it does have a very pungent odor. I'm not saying that's what it is, but it sure sounds suspicious. If that's what you have, the gas will readily ignite. Give that a try.

Calcium carbide was commonly used in carbide lamps by hard rock miners.

Harold

 

[Colo Steve]

Thanks for the reply. It it a white-yellow color. I will try to lite the fumes from it. Some of It melted my pan. Others did nothing.

 

[Colo Steve]

I'm sorry. I ment when it is in the water it melted into my pan

 

[Harold_V]

When carbide hits water, the reaction is swift and sure. However, as it degrades, the action does slow down. If the material is mostly spent carbide, it may well react very slowly, and will eventually stop reacting all together. If you test by lighting the gas, insure you use only a small amount, and in an open container. It's quite explosive when contained.

Harold

 

[auldrider]

When carbide hits water, the reaction is swift and sure. However, as it degrades, the action does slow down. If the material is mostly spent carbide, it may well react very slowly, and will eventually stop reacting all together. If you test by lighting the gas, insure you use only a small amount, and in an open container. It's quite explosive when contained.

Harold

Hmmm, he has not replied, has anyone checked that he is still alive?

 

[beaks]

it's carbide lmao

 

[darshevo]

An additional answer to a long past post here, but to the OP: Be sure to check the area around which you found the pail very carefully. If they took the time to hide the carbide there is agood chance they intended to come back at some time and continue to work the area there may be other coool artifacts just waiting for you to dig them up. I've never been lucky enough to stumble upon anything like that, but I have purchased stuff that had obviously been in the woods a long long time that someone had 'dug up' (pun totally intended )

-Lance