The concentration of vanadium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, and arsenic in the meteoritic iron sulfide nodules

The concentrations (based on graphite-free nodules) of vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, and iron have been determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis in twenty-two troilite nodules from twelve iron and two silicate meteorites. These elements were determined, in addition, in the del Norte County, California, terrestrial troilite. It was found that the concentration ranges of the elements are extremely broad and do not differ greatly for the three types of troilites studied. The elements chromium and nickel, which are present in the largest concentrations, are distributed over the ranges which also appear to be the broadest. The copper range is the narrowest, and the cobalt range is comparable to that of nickel. Since in most cases concentrations of vanadium, zinc, and arsenic lie below the respective detection limits, the effective concentration ranges for these elements may be as broad as, if not broader than, the ranges for the other elements. The content of iron varies within wider limits than those defined by all iron values previously reported. An abundant free-iron phase which occurs in troilite nodules indicates that a complete segregation of the iron sulfide and iron phases was not attained.