Cutting small chondrites?

[Morlock 1,730]

6 hours ago, dsvilko said:

I do have an easy access to liquid nitrogen and even liquid helium. How's that for inert cooling?

 

What are you teaching your physics classes these days? Superconductivity?

[dsvilko 12]

3 hours ago, Morlock said:

What are you teaching your physics classes these days? Superconductivity? 

What can I say, I am a bit weird, even for a physics teacher I have just ordered another batch of unclassified meteorites as a backup.

Do these look genuine? The one with a hint of parallel layers is a bit suspect. They do seem to have a hint of a fusion crust but I have never yet held an intact stone meteorite so what do I know.

[dsvilko 12]

Also, what can I expect to find if I do manage to cut these meteorites? If they have spent some time on Earth (don't know how old is a typical NWA find) can I expect any unoxidized iron inside such small rocks (how deep / fast does earth weathering penetrate)? Should I still be able to recognize chondrules and what percentage of stones should have recognizable chondrules? If I decide not to cut them in half but to simply window an already flat(ish) side, how deep should I go? Is 1-2mm enough or does much thicker outer layer get significantly destroyed / changed by weathering, even in a desert?

[frank c 969]

By LOOKING at the bunch , I'd recommend slicing a few of them IMMEDIATELY, in case you paid good money for them , at least we could give you a much better eyeball photo evaluation by seeing the interiors with some nice clean clear pics. An if NOT then maybe you can get yer money back.
The whole bunch worries me, but heck what do I know right !
Heres a pic of an Ordinany L6 Chondrite that has been sliced and slightly polished.
You can see the varied matrix of the whole interior, and in the RED Circle is a dark colored round chondrule plainly visible with the naked eye.
The shiny looking irregularities spread throughout are Nickle-iron deposits reflecting the light. 
This reference should give you some insight to begin your journey into Space Rocks, enjoy.

[frank c 969]

This is a pic of that same stone when it was WHOLE mushroom/charcoal brickette shaped , Oriented and you can see the Radial flow lines still intact.
It was discovered with a metal detector buried close to 12 inches in the Earth's desert pavement in Arizona. AND it was just about the size of a piece of charcoal brickette.

[Mikestang 926]

Yea those look suspect, especially the stratified one.  You would expect to see small flecks of free iron in a window, however, seeing a chondrule in an H5 or H6 (which is what most of the NWAs tend to be) would be uncommon.

[AzNuggetBob 1,553]

On 4/7/2019 at 1:15 PM, frank c said:

An I think you guys were using "CLINTON" math !
==========================================
Using a cooling agent will extend the life of your blade tremendously AND keep you from heating up BOTH the meteorite and the blade and don't breathe the dust from DRY CUTTING either.
If you have something of tremendous rarity or value then BY ALL MEANS send it to someone in the know to fabricate, Otherwise if its a practice or playschool meteorite thing by all means use a wetting agent.

 

I agree frank using a cutting or cooling agent on more common meteorites can increase the life of your diamond blade by 10 to 20 times verses a dry cut.

AzNuggetBob