info on iron

[castletonking]

This is a question i have about iron and its age. i have found a few unidentifiable pieces of iron,that are no longer iron as we know it,more like a black crystaline flaking,very easy to break material. how long does it take to degrade iron to this point? I live in an area of a great concentration of colonial history,is iron thats been in the ground in this condition after 20 years or 200 years? i have also found a knife in this condition,very brittle and fragile.

 

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[ALDORADO]

First of all, put a shirt on , this is a family forum.

When iron rusts away into nothing, it leaves a rusty coloured halo were the item once was.

Sounds like your digging in a fire pit.

 

[castletonking]

First of all, put a shirt on , this is a family forum.

When iron rusts away into nothing, it leaves a rusty coloured halo were the item once was.

Sounds like your digging in a fire pit.

doubtfull its a firepit because i have items from many locations in this condition,one being a chain of hand forged links from the late 18th to early 19th century the chain is close to 200 years old, yet is not rusted away.these metal pieces have gone to a carbon black color,and are brittle(not the chain links however) there was major rust in the soil,however the pieces to which i reference are still semi intact just very fragile.i'm also located less than a 1/4 mile from a historic revolutionary war fort.and as far as the shirt not being on sorry if you're offended,thats not my problem.