rock? mineral? What is it?

[chukers]

ok I found 3 of these hunting in a field where an old house once stood... here are some attributes of the stone

its pretty light
no smell to it
its very porous (like pumice stone)
it make my metal detector and pin pointer go crazy
it is NOT magnetic
this one is a bit bigger than a baseball.
and when heated up it holds the heat for a very long time.
but it does not burn.

anyone have a clue? Any rock hounds out there? Anyone?


Chukers

 

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[cheese]

Looks like what I call coke stone.

 

[chukers]

Looks like what I call coke stone.

please explain what that is...

 

[DiggerDave in Pa.]

Looks like what I call coke stone.

please explain what that is...

It's a hot rock! I'm not sure what it is but my XLT picks them up and calls it a good target until you try to pinpoint it. DD

 

[PChammer]

From what it looks like, it could be a lava rock. They are mined in Colorado but found all over the place "including other planets". My kids picked up a few in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. I even find them up north quite often.

There isn't anything that fits meteor material so that's out of the question.

So my guess is a lava rock.


Paul

 

[cheese]

I think coke pretty much applies to most any volcanic stone with air bubble holes that doesn't have enough to qualify for pumice. I'm no expert, but that's the way it is in my mind, lol. Sometimes coke can come out of a furnace as well, if the conditions are there for it to form.

 

[Northener0]

looks like slag to me was there a blacksmith shop or some kinda smelting done on the property that you know of.

 

[PChammer]

looks like slag to me was there a blacksmith shop or some kinda smelting done on the property that you know of.

If I recall, volcanic rock can have a glassy surface or smooth shiny surface. Volcanic slag rock can be found, which I think is typically black but not always and looks just like a piece of slag glass from smelting or other source.

It still looks more nature oriented to me but it sure is possible it's slag from other sources. Great point.

 

[chukers]

I have hunted all over this part of Texas and I have yet to find anything like it... then on one site I find 3 pieces... that don't add up... if it was volcanic it would be all over the area... closest volcano is 6 to 7 hours away... and I have a piece of that... its properties are different...


the smaller piece IS volcanic slag... it 1/3 of the size and weighs more than a 1/3 of the bigger rock
(233.6 grams vs 381.4 grams) 381.4/3=127.133333333

The smaller piece DOES NOT make my pin pointer go crazy, in fact it does not register at all....

so... are there different kinds of volcanic slag? Texas is pretty flat no volcanos even close... of course someone could of brought the stuff to that site... so now what?

Chukers

 

[PChammer]

I have hunted all over this part of Texas and I have yet to find anything like it...

It's a huge state which you obviously know (and I just realized you are from Texas) and for any one person to cover it searching for something specific would take a few life times. West and central are more known for the volcanic rocks. Texas was volcanic at one point and while sure, they are more rare there, if you go down I-40 quite a ways west of Amarillo, you may possibly find some, that's where we did some rock hunting. I will post a picture when my son comes back from his trip if he still has it. It's near identical to yours "make up wise".

then on one site I find 3 pieces... that don't add up... if it was volcanic it would be all over the area... closest volcano is 6 to 7 hours away... and I have a piece of that... its properties are different...

The closest volcano is 6-7 now, as stated prior, it was volcanic at one time. Most volcanic rocks found are not just formed or shot out all over the place. If it wasn't something you were looking for prior, you may have not noticed them so much or much smaller fragments.

so... are there different kinds of volcanic slag? Texas is pretty flat no volcanos even close... of course someone could of brought the stuff to that site... so now what?

Not every volcanic rock is the same so unfortunately you can't classify them by the smaller rock you have and to answer your question, yes, they are all different in weight and size and make up. Some volcanic rock mix with other elements at the time of cooling and can contain iron, etc...

Here are a few...

http://maurice.strahlen.org/minerals/pics/bomb2.jpg

http://rockhoundblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/obsidian.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Aa_volcanic_rock.jpg

Unfortunately, my knowledge doesn't go much further than this. Is there anywhere you can take them to get them looked at?

This is just my opinion on what you have, others may have better suggestions

 

[WAres]

looks like iron slag

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Coke is coal that is put in a furnace and heated (called carbonization) - the end product is called "coke". Sometimes its mixed with flux and then its called "clinker".

There is also "petroleum coke"

Blacksmiths and metalworkers use coke for sustained heating in their work.

Beth