1. Home
  2. ⏣ General Metalworking
  3. Mystery metal grains? Cobalt?

Mystery metal grains? Cobalt?

Found a few lbs of it in an induction furnace that I bought for $30...
Picture:
formatting link

These are oxidized metal grains. The oxidation color is bluish and
most closely resembles blueberries, though I am somewhat color blind.
Any idea what this metal is? Could it be cobalt?
Reply to
Ignoramus16448
Loading thread data ...
one of those chunks with a hammer ?
Reply to
Terry Coombs
"Ignoramus16448" wrote in message news:qJqdne snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...
Steel turns blue when heated.
formatting link

formatting link
NH4SCN is ammonium thiocyanate.
A simpler test is to dissolve a little in hydrochloric acid, dry the solution over heat (acid fumes!), and see if it turns blue. You could neutralize the acid by adding garden lime or baking soda until it stops fizzing. I don't know if other metals would interfere.
formatting link
(II)_chloride
Reply to
Jim Wilkins
Definitely not copper, when ground down they look dull grey. Not magnetic.
Reply to
Ignoramus16448
That sounds like a plan. The induction furnace is 100 kva by the way
Reply to
Ignoramus16448
You really need to splurge and treat yourself to one of those handheld x-ray fluorescence machines. No more guessing on mystery alloys or things like these beads. You could even do analyses for scrapyards and pay it off even sooner :-).
Reply to
Carl
Koslow Scientific
formatting link
has all sorts of metal ID kits. You may want to check them out.
Disclosure: I do a lot of electronic design work for them, but don't make any extra money from sales.
Reply to
rangerssuck
Cobalt is ferromagnetic, so unless it is fully oxidized, it would be magnetic.
Jon
Reply to
Jon Elson
So it is not cobalt... no attraction to magnet...
Reply to
Ignoramus2085
Perhaps the light blue color came from oxidized copper plating?
formatting link

Reply to
Jim Wilkins
The hand held xrf machines cost about as much as a economy car. And the local scrap yard has one already. But if you send me one of the buttons I will try talking one of the guys into scanning it.
Dan
Reply to
dcaster
Palladium beads? They're used in catalytic converters on autos and withstand high temps.
Reply to
Larry Jaques
It s a copper phosphorus alloy or compound, as foud out with xrf gun!
Reply to
Ignoramus22058
Nice new toy? Are they under fifty grand yet?
I bought a Flir C2 for my birfday. This Old House needs work. LOL.
Reply to
Larry Jaques
It was at a scrap yard, I do not own one...
Reply to
Ignoramus25194

Further Reading

  • Mystery metal

  • I have two small metal cylinders from who knows where. Anyway, they are of...

  • mystery metal

  • While "organizing and cleaning " the "stuff" at the high school I'mhelping...

  • Cobalt or Tortoise Switch Motor

  • Hi peopleDoes anyone have experience with both Tortoise and Cobalt switch...

  • Welding Mystery Metal

  • It's shiny, it has to carry a load, it attracts a magnet -- and I have no...

  • mystery metal ID

  • Evening all,I have been sent a piece of 'mystery metal' to make some...

  • Mystery metal

  • Your object is probably pot metal or zamac, which is an alloy of zincand...

  • Scrap price of HSS/Cobalt Endmills?

  • Any idea what the wholesale scrap price of HSS, tool steel with varyingcobalt...

  • Metal desert mystery-link

  • This is called the desert megaphone mystery. Unidentified since at least1985,...

  • Tungsten-cobalt alloys extremely carcinogenic?

  • A little distraction from our "show us Obama Bin Laden's deathcertificate"...

  • grinding cobalt

  • hello. i'm a 3rd year materials engineering student at cal poly sanluis...

  • Help! Mystery Cast Metal Boiler

  • The only marking on it is a 7/8ths circle and what looks like a ships...

  • Cobalt Drills - right!

  • I just bought a set of cobalt drills, 29 pieces - fractional set, onebay. The...

  • Mystery Bachmann Crab detailing parts

  • Can any tell me what the following mystery parts in the Bachmann Crab detailpack...

  • Sharpening 5% cobalt

  • Just bought some blank bits for a small boring bar. Says 5% Cobalt on the side,...

  • Cobalt Drill Bits

  • Hello All,I had the occassion to drill through some very hard fasteners.Standard...

  • Slicing Stainless Rod

  • Periodically I make a part that requires sections of 1.5inch stainless rod. They...
  • « previous thread

  • Jeff Davis NOT Natural-Born Confederate, got it?

  • Remember Jeff Davis? Many say forget it NBC News - Feb 23, 2008 ?
  • next thread »

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.