platinum group metals?

[jsw]

these nuggets all test positive with platinum test kit and stone. a magnet out of a computer hard drive was used for magnet test -passed. polished up great with a dremel tool. a butane micro torch didnt affect it at all, bubble well in hydrogen. not 1 nugget but all of these passed.

 

[D-Tex]

Most strange, Pt. nuggets normally are smaller than the average size gold nugget found.

I hope you send at least one of them to a testing lab to find put if thy truly are Pt.

If they are, you have a find of unrivaled magnitude, here's wishing you good luck .

 

[togg77]

Veeeeeeeeery interesting--------keep us posted.

 

[mudpuppy]

Whats the backstory? Where did these things come from? Were they from some sort of platinum reclamation type of thing where a guy was cutting catalytic converters?
Mud

 

[mcb613]

I can tell you exactly what you have... You specimens are chromium byproduct from manufacturing process. I too, thought I had a goldmine, of sorts, with my find. I did all the tests too and passed, I finally had the fortune of meeting a metalugist at a minersl and fossil show that offered to test my specimen with a scientific instrument, I think it was a spectrometer, if I can remember correctly. She brought bsck the findings of percentages of elements in my specimen. I think Chromium was 90+ percent. Boy was I bumbed as you probably will be after reading this reply. So sorry, but had to post my experience.
Also, I too undrrstsnd that Platinum comes in very small form when found.
Thanks?
Mike

 

[mclucky]

Looks like melted aluminum cans to me.Have found many old campfires loaded with that kind of stuff.

 

[PSS1963]

I can tell you exactly what you have... You specimens are chromium byproduct from manufacturing process. I too, thought I had a goldmine, of sorts, with my find. I did all the tests too and passed, I finally had the fortune of meeting a metalugist at a minersl and fossil show that offered to test my specimen with a scientific instrument, I think it was a spectrometer, if I can remember correctly. She brought bsck the findings of percentages of elements in my specimen. I think Chromium was 90+ percent. Boy was I bumbed as you probably will be after reading this reply. So sorry, but had to post my experience.
Also, I too undrrstsnd that Platinum comes in very small form when found.
Thanks?
Mike

Whoa, bummer dude! Hey even scrap chromium must be worth a few dollars a pound - right?

-pete

 

[mcb613]

I do alot with metals and have never seen a avenue for Chromium. It is a bi- product, so I sure there is piles of it somewhere.

 

[PSS1963]

I do alot with metals and have never seen a avenue for Chromium. It is a bi- product, so I sure there is piles of it somewhere.

Here's what I found . . . from Wiki:

"Chromium metal and ferrochromium alloy are commercially produced from chromite by silicothermic or aluminothermic reactions, or by roasting and leaching processes. Chromium metal has proven of high value due to its high corrosion resistance and hardness. A major development was the discovery that steel could be made highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration by adding metallic chromium to form stainless steel. This application, along with chrome plating (electroplating with chromium) currently comprise 85% of the commercial use for the element, with applications for chromium compounds forming the remainder."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium

Chromium trades on the market at about $9000/ton ($4.50/lb) - a good 60% more than the value of copper - according to this website:

http://www.recycleinme.com/scrapresources/Other%20Metals-Chromium__details.aspx

-pete

 

[mcb613]

The hurdle is finding someone that buy it in relativrly low qty
,

 

[PSS1963]

The hurdle is finding someone that buy it in relativrly low qty
,

Very true mcb! I happen to have a scrap dealer near me whose motto is "If its made out of metal, its made out of money" and they've told me that quantity is not an issue. They even have a truck that drives around the area and makes pickups for cash on the spot - they'll come to where you are or you can meet them somewhere. I suspect, though, that this is not the norm in most parts of the country.

-pete

 

[nolanation]

Yup, just chromium.