zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 20, 2013 17:55:09 GMT -5
I acquired an estate & got a box of grits & polishes. How do I tell whether a white powder labeled "polish" is Tin Oxide, Aluminum Oxide or Unobtanium?
There's some tan powder, which I assume is Cerium Oxide, right?
Lynn
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Post by deb193redux on May 20, 2013 18:23:38 GMT -5
tan could be a tripoly, depending on how fine it looks.
otherwise, I think you are out of luck.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2013 19:13:00 GMT -5
Yes, newer lower grade Cerium oxide is tan or even reddish.
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Post by mohs on May 20, 2013 22:11:02 GMT -5
there must be a a way probably not an easy one but something like looking under microscope with a known test sample or some litmus test or... mostly
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on May 20, 2013 23:01:18 GMT -5
By the time you paid for the chemical analysis you could have bought more polish than you have.
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blackout5783
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 248
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Post by blackout5783 on May 21, 2013 8:17:31 GMT -5
You could try a flame test. I think tin has a bluish white flame and aluminum is colorless.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 14:26:45 GMT -5
and interestingly enough a flame test for cerium seems to not work.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 21, 2013 14:40:50 GMT -5
I think we can safely assume that snorting the various white powders is a bad idea.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 21, 2013 14:42:26 GMT -5
Hold on, I've got an idea. Put the white powders in ziplock bags and leave them on the front seat of the car. Perform a minor traffic violation. Get pulled over. I'm pretty sure the testing would be free at that point.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 14:50:22 GMT -5
sadly, they cannot be free based either.
Personally, I love to freebase..... aspirin! haha!
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blackout5783
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 248
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Post by blackout5783 on May 21, 2013 15:29:17 GMT -5
Ok, if you have access to an oxy-acetylene torch, you're good. Tin oxide will melt (around 2900 F) and aluminum oxide won't (melt point around 3900 F).
Just make sure whatever you put it in has a higher melt point than the flame temp!
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Post by johnjsgems on May 21, 2013 16:30:19 GMT -5
If it looks like tumbling grit/polish and old stock it likely won't be aluminum oxide. Titanium dioxide was very common in the old days. Also CPP and Lusterite are tumbling polishes for a long time. If it is tin oxide that would be very nice. Tin was a popular buffing polish but pretty expensive for tumbling even way back.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on May 21, 2013 22:27:53 GMT -5
Don't put any in an envelope and mail it anywhere for testing.
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