Hexahedrite with extremely low nickel sent by father

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

My pops is a concrete business ownder. Working the gravel pit on a glacial till on my Grandfathers land he found this peculiar rock (40 years of looking at rocks does that to a man). He sent it to me, its 11.9 lbs. I actually brought it to be xrf'd in two spots(results in pic of taped spots) Iron as high as 85%-95%, co, cu, mn, w, ti and au and ag. There is no terrestrial rock i can find with this composition. There is very low nickel. Im trying to get it officially tested but no one reponds. Pics attached, crust, thumbprints, striation visible, olivine (looks like under microscope). Neat piece, pain in the ass to find someone to confirm or deny. Note how clean a split it is, super heated to super cool on impact? Cracked the iron in half.

If anyone has any ideas on how to achieve a designation in the southwest please let me know. Thank you!

 

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[Kryptkid0]

The blue looks like lapis to me but im not great at this

 

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

The blue looks like lapis to me but im not great at this

Thanks for looking! The chemical composition is much different for lapis than the xrf results. We're all here to learn.

 

[Kryptkid0]

Thanks for looking! The chemical composition is much different for lapis than the xrf results. We're all here to learn.

You really did your work thats awesome i missed the attachment entirely

 

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

Forgot to add a pic of the last remaining fusion crust the glacier didnt eat up. Its about an inch long.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I’m a rockhound and have hunted the glacial till for 40 yrs. There are so many different kinds of rocks present it’s amazing. I have many I can’t identify. I can’t help you on your rock but wish you good luck!🍀

 

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

I’m a rockhound and have hunted the glacial till for 40 yrs. There are so many different kinds of rocks present it’s amazing. I have many I can’t identify. I can’t help you on your rock but wish you good luck!🍀

Thank you! Interestingly i think i figured out piece of this puzzle from an esoteric post on this site. Then it matches GLACIAL TILL...Im guessing this thing was so super heated most of the nickel literally evaporated before it landed here. The concentration of tungsten in the banded area would stop other elements from vaporizing out. The concentrations were higher. No vesicles. The following is about a similar meteorite. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twannberg_meteorite

 

[Red-Coat]

I don’t know what that is, but it’s not a meteorite.

The iron in meteorites is always accompanied by a significant amount of nickel, present as either the lower-nickel alloy kamacite or the higher-nickel alloy taenite. Iron meteorites which crystallised as octahedrites are a mixture of kamacite and taenite and have the highest nickel content. Those which crystalised as hexahedrites contain kamacite only and consequently have the lowest nickel content, but it’s still going to be in excess of 5%.

There may be cobalt in amounts up to about 2%, copper in amounts up to about 0.02%, plus traces of manganese and tin. Anything else will usually be in parts per million, or present as non-native compounds.

Terrestrial iron (such as telluric iron) is an extremely rare material and almost exclusively confined to the far northern hemisphere, although the possibility of glacial transport to more southerly regions can’t be ruled out. However, even telluric iron typically has around 3% nickel content.

With the composition you’re showing, a designation of ‘man-made’ would be the usual conclusion, but I have no explanation for how or why in relation to where it was found.

I have posted this information a number of times, but New England Meteoritical Services will provide a meteorite verification (or otherwise) at a subsidised price of $30 as part of an educational outreach programme:

http://meteoritetesting.org/Submitting a sample.htm

The fee includes return postage in the USA for the specimen. They only require a 10-20g sample, which you could cut off with a quality hacksaw (it won’t detract from the value). If you don’t want to cut it, you will need to contact them first to agree additional return postage costs for a larger specimen. Note that although they will be able to tell you if it is meteoritic, they can’t necessarily give a definitive ID for non-meteoritic specimens, but they will offer an opinion.

The XRF analysis already tells you that this cannot be a meteorite, so it may be $30 wasted if it remains unidentified.

 

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

I don’t know what that is, but it’s not a meteorite.

The iron in meteorites is always accompanied by a significant amount of nickel, present as either the lower-nickel alloy kamacite or the higher-nickel alloy taenite. Iron meteorites which crystallised as octahedrites are a mixture of kamacite and taenite and have the highest nickel content. Those which crystalised as hexahedrites contain kamacite only and consequently have the lowest nickel content, but it’s still going to be in excess of 5%.

There may be cobalt in amounts up to about 2%, copper in amounts up to about 0.02%, plus traces of manganese and tin. Anything else will usually be in parts per million, or present as non-native compounds.

Terrestrial iron (such as telluric iron) is an extremely rare material and almost exclusively confined to the far northern hemisphere, although the possibility of glacial transport to more southerly regions can’t be ruled out. However, even telluric iron typically has around 3% nickel content.

With the composition you’re showing, a designation of ‘man-made’ would be the usual conclusion, but I have no explanation for how or why in relation to where it was found.

I have posted this information a number of times, but New England Meteoritical Services will provide a meteorite verification (or otherwise) at a subsidised price of $30 as part of an educational outreach programme:

http://meteoritetesting.org/Submitting a sample.htm

The fee includes return postage in the USA for the specimen. They only require a 10-20g sample, which you could cut off with a quality hacksaw (it won’t detract from the value). If you don’t want to cut it, you will need to contact them first to agree additional return postage costs for a larger specimen. Note that although they will be able to tell you if it is meteoritic, they can’t necessarily give a definitive ID for non-meteoritic specimens, but they will offer an opinion.

The XRF analysis already tells you that this cannot be a meteorite, so it may be $30 wasted if it remains unidentified.

There are no earth rocks that match the composition, so its money well spent. Im reaching out to a place locally but if that doesnt pan id be happy to spend the shipping. Pre solar system meteorites are extremely rare so id rather gamble and pay to know for sure. Ive already paid for xrf so it is okay to invest. If its terrestrial itd be an extremely rare piece as well

 

[Red-Coat]

There are no earth rocks that match the composition, so its money well spent. Im reaching out to a place locally but if that doesnt pan id be happy to spend the shipping. Pre solar system meteorites are extremely rare so id rather gamble and pay to know for sure. Ive already paid for xrf so it is okay to invest. If its terrestrial itd be an extremely rare piece as well

Well, good luck, but I have a few more comments.

Pre-solar system meteorites are not 'extremely rare'. There are none known (on Earth). Many meteorites incorporate pre-solar grains (aka 'stardust') as part of their composition but at levels in the order of 0.1%. I have no idea why you would believe the composition from the XRF analysis suggests it to be 'pre-solar'.

While natural terrestrial iron is extremely rare, you're ignoring the much more likely possibility that it's terrestrial but man-made.

 

[FrustratedHexahedrite]

Well, good luck, but I have a few more comments.

Pre-solar system meteorites are not 'extremely rare'. There are none known (on Earth). Many meteorites incorporate pre-solar grains (aka 'stardust') as part of their composition but at levels in the order of 0.1%. I have no idea why you would believe the composition from the XRF analysis suggests it to be 'pre-solar'.

While natural terrestrial iron is extremely rare, you're ignoring the much more likely possibility that it's terrestrial but man-made.

Its possible its manmade! I just wonder how would the nickel leave, while keep the other elements evenly spread. Even manmade metal contains nickel. How would a tungsten band form with lighter elements and who put it in glacial til. Which sounds more likely?

 

[Red-Coat]

Even manmade metal contains nickel.

"The concentration of nickel in iron meteorites, typically 5-30%, is much greater than that in industrial metals except for high-nickel steels. The concentration of nickel in industrial iron is usually <1%."

Metal, iron, & nickel | Some Meteorite Information | Washington University in St. Louis

sites.wustl.edu