http://www.meteorite-times.com/Back_Links/2002/November/meteorites_101.htm
Cheers!
Matt
Quoting "Diiulio, Ronald" <[email protected]>:
OK all...this looks like it was a great article! Can anyone forward
me to a site where I might read it?
Thanks,
Ron
Ron DiIulio
Planetarium and Astronomy Laboratory Director
Adjunct Professor
Physics Department
University of North Texas
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
office phone: 940-369-8213
fax number: 940-369-7792
email: [email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Matthew Martin
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 11:01 AM
To: R N Hartman
Cc: Meteorite Central; Meteorite1
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Fw: etching with radio shack etchant
Aloha Ron,
Since reading the article and you and your son wrote, I have used
nothing but Ferric Chloride to etch my irons. Your directions were
very thorough. A few months ago I etched a Campo that I resurrected
from a rusty graveyard and it produced a gorgeous pattern using FC.
Of course after sanding, I polished it before etching. Don't let
one sour grape get at you--especially since he didn't follow your
directions correctly. Even though it's been eight years since your
article was published, I want to say "thank you" to you and Jim for
your contribution to the field; It gave me the confidence to etch my
own irons...and with stunning results!
Matthew
Quoting R N Hartman <[email protected]>:
I was just browsing through some of the posts on Joes Skyrockcafe
website when I ran across a post from a collector who was unhappy with
the Radio Shack etchant for iron meteorites. He claims to have sanded
a Campo down to #400 but could not get a Widmanstatten pattern,
although he did get a beautiful pattern using the traditional Nitric
method.
My son, Jim, and I posted an article in the November 2002 issue of the
Meteorite Times about preparing and etching irons using Ferric
Chloride (which is the same material as used in the Radio Shack
etchant). The method has been used widely since that time with
outstanding success by many and with superior results, so there is now
an undisputed 8 year positive history. Etches show more contrast and
subtle details come out more readily, and fears of ferric chloride use
have been put to rest as the specimens are not rusting and crumbling.
In fact, they do just as well if not better than when etched with
nitric. (But that is a topic for another day.)
I think the problem of the person in posting his negative experience
was that after grinding down to a #400 grit that he did not then
polish out the surface. Unlike preparing an iron to etch with nitric
acid, the surface wants to have a highly reflective mirror-like
surface before etching. As we say in the article, however, every
meteorite is different and can react differently to different
circumstances, so he may have just had an unusual, but uncommon,
experience. He may have a very different experience with a different
Campo. (I have many Ferric-etched slices of Campos in my personal
collection and they are all doing well.)
Ron Hartman E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514)
Database version: 6.14900
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