How to identify metal nuggets

[Rothman]

Hi guys, I've been finding some metal nuggets lately. About 99% sure that none of them are melted cans. I live at the base of a fairly active volcano and so I think that some of these metal nuggets are natural. I've found three smaller nuggets and two larger ones.

The largest seems like it's aluminum, it's light weight, dull grey in color, and hit at a 99 on my LRP detector. It's far too large to be just a melted can. It would probably take 4 cans to make something this size. Maybe WW2 metal

The next biggest one hit at a 57 and isn't shiny at all. It's also rather light but definitely a heavier metal than the largest nugget mentioned above. It is a dull grey and green color with lots of calcium and corrosion on it.

The small nugget on the bottom left is incredibly heavy. Maybe not quite lead heavy but close. It hit in the 40's. It's very scaly and has no shine at all.

The small nugget in the middle is pretty heavy as well. It has a nice green hue and hit in the 50's. I'm almost certain this one is copper.

The last little nugget on the bottom right is very light weight again, like aluminum. It was somewhat silvery and shiny when I pulled it out of the ground. It registered in the 80's. After cleaning it off with some water and sitting for a while, it corroded with a dark grey coating.

Really, I'm just looking for a good way to identify what types of metal I have here. No two seem to be the same kind. Is there a way to identify the metals on my own without an expert?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[bigfoot1]

start with acid test kit,cheap on amazon.then get a lead id pen at paint store,then a nickle test kit at pharmacy.by eleminating all of these potential ids you are left with very few possibilities.

also acid test kit can be used to compare reactions to known samples to id far more than precious metals,even some alloys like pewter

good luck

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I'd say they are just molten metal globs. Probably aluminun cans melted. We get scores of such aluminun nuggets on the beach, where people chuck their cans into the campfires. It just goes in the nearest trash can on the way out of the hunt.

 

[atomicscott]

Tom is likely correct. I find these all the time at old home sites, as well as melted globs of lead.

 

[OWK]

You can identify the metal in question by measuring it's density.

If you have a graduated cylinder, you can fill it to a known point with water, and then drop in your nugget. The amount of increase in the measure of water, is equal to the volume of the nugget.

You can then measure the mass (weight) of the nugget.

Density is simply mass/volume.

In this case, grams/cc.

Aluminum has a density of 2.7 gm/cc.
Zinc has a density of 7.1 gm/cc.
Silver has a density of 10.5 gm/cc.
Lead has a density of 11.4 gm/cc.
Gold has a density of 19.3 gm/cc.