Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867Various
Science
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867
Various
California Academy of Sciences -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
DEAR SIR:—I have examined the specimen of meteoric iron
from Tucson, which you sent me for analysis, and herewith
communicate to you my results.
The density of the mass is 7.29. When a fragment of it is
placed in a solution of neutral sulphate of copper, it quickly
becomes coated with metallic copper, proving the iron to be
“active.” An inspection of the specimen with a lens showed it
to be dotted with little cavities, which on the fresh fracture
were lined with a white silicious mineral, giving the surface a
porphyritic, or pseudo-porphyritic, appearance.
When a fragment was attacked with an acid, a portion of the
iron was dissolved, leaving the silicious mineral projecting
from the surface of the specimen; and with a magnifier, black
particles of Schreibersite could be seen. After complete
solution of the iron, a careful microscopic examination was
made of the insoluble residue. With a magnifying power of 25
diameters, it appeared to consist chiefly of two substances:
one a milk-white to transparent mineral, having a fused,
rounded surface, occurring in little globules, or elongated,
rounded particles; while the other constituent was black
and angular, and attractable by the magnet. The first named
substance, when observed with a magnifying power of 100
diameters, proved to contain minute specks of the black mineral
disseminated through it; some of the silicious fragments were
translucent and of a milk-white color, and others colorless
and transparent; a large number, however, were transparent at
one end, shading into milk-white at the other, thus seeming to
indicate that the transparent and translucent portions were not
two distinct minerals. A blowpipe examination of the silicious
mineral showed it to have characters very much resembling
_olivine_. The black mineral proved to be _Schreibersite_. A
minute trace of chromium was also observed in the insoluble
residue.
The qualitative analysis of the portion soluble in nitric
acid indicated the presence of iron, nickel, cobalt, copper,
phosphorus, lime, and magnesia with unweighable traces
of chlorine, sulphur, and alumina. For the quantitative
examination of the meteorite a fragment weighing 4.3767
grammes was treated with nitro-chlorohydric acid (aqua regia),
and after solution of the iron the whole was evaporated; on
approaching dryness, gelatinous silica separated, showing that
the silicate had been partially, at least, decomposed by the
acid. After heating until the silica was rendered insoluble,
it was repeatedly treated with acid and evaporated, so as to
insure the oxydation of all the Schreibersite, and finally
the soluble part was taken up with chlorohydric acid, and on
dilution separated by filtration from the silica and insoluble
residue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account