Rock with metal crystals

[Tomias]

Hi guys,

I've been through all the excitement of thinking I've found a meteorite, then done some research online and realised that only about 20 meteorites have ever been found in the UK and so now I'm out the other side accepting the fact that it's probably just another rock.

However, I can't leave it at that as this rock does seem particularly strange, and this seems to be a good place to find people who know what they're talking about. I've checked through all the photos at http://meteorites.wustl.edu/meteorwrong ... wrongs.htm and it doesn't match up with anything there.

Underneath the surface It's covered in crystalline patterns of a silvery metal which I thought could be the Widmanstatten pattern but now I'm fairly certain it isn't. I guess it could be a crystallised metal formed on earth, but I've no idea what.

Either way, as I know you'll have seen a vast quantity of false alarm rocks, I was hoping that someone out there could let me know what it might be (if it really is a meteorite that would most certainly be awesome).

Many thanks
Tom

[Kieron]

Hi Tom,

Maybe not quite the same, but similar to these dendritic crystals of manganese oxide?

http://www.sandatlas.org/dendritic-growth-in-crystals/


Regards, Kieron

[Tomias]

Thanks Kieron,

It's definitely dendritic growth. Now I've just got to work out what the substance is. I'm sure the internet can give me an answer soon enough.

Regards
Tom

[Kieron]

No problem. Please let us know if you find out anything.

Regards, Kieron

[Barwellian]

Is it attracted to a magnet...looks very much like a solidified blob of aluminium to me...with indentations from underneath where it was poured on the ground?
Is it lighter than iron and not attracted?

Graham.

[Tomias]

Hi Graham,

It doesn't appear to be attracted to a magnet at all and it certainly is lighter than iron.
I reckon you're right about it being aluminium. I've found the photo below that seems to match it from an aluminium foundry.
http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/foundry/img/fig009.jpg
How it ended up in the mud next to a canal I may never know though. A bit more local research may be required.

Thanks again for your help
Tom

[Barwellian]

Foundry material waste is often used for making cheap pathways...picked up a piece only today from by the side of a track....or perhaps a canal boat owner was melting down some aluminium to cast a boat part....I used to cast aluminium sculptures and the blobs that dropped by mistake looked just like your sample...nasty when you stand on a hot one by mistake and it burns through the sole of your trainer to your foot....not easy to remove the shoe quickly...lots of swearing invovled.