Originally Posted by Dr J R Stockton[_127_]

In sci.space.tech message abcbfb6e-6d12-4cb1-b7a5-2459d2c2d030@l2g2000v
bn.googlegroups.com, Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:07:23, byblow
posted:

So the nickel-iron on a metallic NEO (like 1986 DA) is totally pure
and doesn't need to be refined? Does it become nickel *steel* after
it's melted?

Do you happen to know how many kilowatt hours it would take to melt a
tonne of nickel-iron using induction heating?

The figures necessary for a reasonable estimate are easily found in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron.

How about to melt 100
tonnes?

About a hundred times as much.


There ought to be research on what useful can be made just by casting
from a melt of metallic or stony asteroid material. For many purposes,
ISTM, refining would be an unnecessary refinement.

--
(c) John Stockton, nr London, UK. Turnpike v6.05 MIME.
Web http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms and links;
Astro stuff via astron-1.htm, gravity0.htm ; quotings.htm, pascal.htm, etc.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.