Help please identifying this Solid Bar

[Fred Moore]

Hi all

I've had in my possession for some time this solid bar.
It is None Magnetic but very heavy for its size.
I did briefly machine the right hand end in my Harrison T300 a while ago and it left a clean end like
machining say mild steel but it has darkened or perhaps properly termed Oxidised over a few month just sat in my workshop.
I thought given some info off lathe turner I spoke to that it may be some kind of Molybdenum, but now I'n not so sure.
It came from a small engineering business in my town that closed and a builder friend bought the building of which had a lot of stuff left in it along with all sorts of plastics and solid metal bars.
Some of which had codes on that came up as Rolls royce special grade stainless M3RR.
But this Bar has me stumped as I can't find anything about it or pictures of anything that looks like it.

Anybody any idea's as I'm starting to think I shouldn't have it as it may be a controlled substance.

Regards

Fred.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Depleted uranium ?
This is a pic of a cylinder -

 

[Dee J]

Perhaps do some accurate weighing and measuring and come up with a fairly precise density - might give some clues - if its a fairly pure element anyway.

 

[Maker]

How big is it (Length, diameter and weight)?

Have you done a spark test?

Assuming it is DU; I don't think it is a controlled substance. It's at least 99.7% U-238 which has a half life of over 4 billion years (Basically stable).
The danger is that it's toxic... Lots of not controlled things are toxic.

If you don't want it, I think the best thing to do would be send it to me.

EDIT: Probably best you don't do a spark test if there's a risk of it being DU, finely divided uranium is pyrophoric. For the same reason, I'd suggest you don't file it either.

 

[500e]

The DU I have seen has a brassy tinge to it

 

[Shox Dr]

By the look of the verdigris, copper alloy?

 

[Kent]

If you don't know what something is perhaps best not to mess with it too much?
I have to say I think I might take file to it though lol

 

[Keith 66]

Molybdenum is used as electrodes in electric arc furnaces, a friend of mine had a regular job making these, i didnt recall it looking like that though.
It was horribly expensive!

 

[arther dailey]

That might make sence, I have a some moly sockets chrome has come off, they are similar colour..

 

[NickyEng]

It may have been nitrided with a final oxidation process for corrosion resistance

 

[rikrobson]

It looks like marble to me.
So we need to know its mass and its dimentions. we can therefore work out its density. We can workout its conductivity if we get an ohms test from end to end.

 

[dobbslc]

The DU I have seen has a brassy tinge to it

Christ! I've got a bar of what I thought was stainless steel that I machined the end off and that's turned brassy in colour...

 

[Brad93]

If you think it's radioactive weigh it or take it to a lab and have them try a geiger counter on it.
Uranium is 60% more dense than lead.

 

[Brad93]

There you go looked it up 19.2g/cm3

Used.for radiography equipment shielding, ballast on aircraft and boats, short half life so not particularly harmful if not exposed for a long period of time.

 

[NickyEng]

Well he can save on electricity if it's radioactive, he's gonna be glowing in the dark...

 

[the snooper]

Hi all

I've had in my possession for some time this solid bar.
It is None Magnetic but very heavy for its size.
I did briefly machine the right hand end in my Harrison T300 a while ago and it left a clean end like
machining say mild steel but it has darkened or perhaps properly termed Oxidised over a few month just sat in my workshop.
I thought given some info off lathe turner I spoke to that it may be some kind of Molybdenum, but now I'n not so sure.
It came from a small engineering business in my town that closed and a builder friend bought the building of which had a lot of stuff left in it along with all sorts of plastics and solid metal bars.
Some of which had codes on that came up as Rolls royce special grade stainless M3RR.
But this Bar has me stumped as I can't find anything about it or pictures of anything that looks like it.

Anybody any idea's as I'm starting to think I shouldn't have it as it may be a controlled substance.

Regards

Fred.

someone sent me this picture of you in your shed

 

[Ton-up]

If I have a problem like this, a visit to the local scrap metal guys will find out what it is!

 

[brightspark]

the larger yards have radiation detecting gear if its owt nasty

 

[TechnicAl]

someone sent me this picture of you in your shed
View attachment 79745

Thats the first thing that crossed my mind........

 

[MrFluffy]

Take to scrapyard, have them shoot it with the xrf (niton) "gun", identify material without any nonsense.