My Iron from the Earth: A Childhood Memory

[qumf]

When I was a child, I picked a iron from the earth. It looks a iron, it has a thin layer rust outside. but the shape looks like a stone. it is about 26mm long.
I erase a little rust by knife. then the position will not get rusty afterwards in the room even many years.

 

[qumf]

until to recent days, I get a spectrum ways to test its composition.
It is strange. I do not know what it is originally.
Sn 0.048%; Mo 0.089%; Zr 0.014%; W 0.089%; Zn 0.062%; Cu 0.195%; Fe 96.873%; Mn 0.844%; Ti O.085%; LEC 0.655%(light element such as Si, C, the machine can not tell the nonmetallic element)
who can tell me what it is originally?

 

[qumf]

more photos, I hope somebody can tell me what it is.

 

[VACUUMIST]

Way don't you try to get the Widmanstatten figures, indicative of a meteorite iron?

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

Regards

Roberto

 

[AlephZero]

My guess is that it was man-made. "Iron meteorites" usually contain a lot of nickel (5% to 25%). Your analysis doesn't mention nickel at all.

Also, a meteorite would have a lot of surface damage from the heat generated as it fell through the atmosphere. Your object does not.

 

[VACUUMIST]

Yes, lack of nickel is not suggesting a sideral iron but IUPAC reports even less 1% of Ni in some meteorites.
May be an x-ray shot can tell about homogenity.

 

[jim hardy]

Are there any old iron foundries near where you found it?

I have seen similar looking "stones" near Meramec Spring Missouri, USA, which was the site of an early ironworks. A geologist friend told me they were slag from the open hearth furnaces. They were smooth and black like yours but flatter.

BUt don't take me as any sort of informed source.

 

[qumf]

basically I think it is man-made.

I never hear there is a foundry there though my friends already remind me. I think it is from a mechanical part, It droped to the earth, possible in river, then after wear and tear by sand, then it becomes to the shape. i pick it on the ground , maybe hill. I can not remember clearly becasue many years. it must not be near river.

the iron is rather hard, must harder than common steel. I used the very sharp point of the saw to scratch its surface. , it only can be remain mark, it can not make obvious pits on it.

I test the compositions at several positions, they do not change much.