Hi Mike, The standard nickel test (based on dimethyl glyoxime) can produce false positives and false negatives because it is very sensitive to the cleanliness of the containers in which it is carried out. I haven't experimented any with the kits I've seen listed on eBay from time to time, so I can't give you any feedback on their reliability. But I ~can~ tell you that when I performed the full- blown test in a beaker back in my university days, the results were very sensitive to how well the glassware had been cleaned.
Because of that experience 20-odd years ago, I have avoided nickel testing with candidate iron meteorites. It's much simpler to just polish a surface and etch it with ferric chloride. --Rob ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
