The structure and composition of metal particles in two type 6 ordinary chondrites

The microstructure and composition of taenite particles were examined in two type-6 ordinary chondrites, Kernouve (H6) and Saint Severin (LL6), using reflected light microscopy and a combination of electron optical instruments. It was found that, in both meteorites, the taenite particles consisted of a narrow rim of high-Ni taenite and a central region of cloudy zone similar to those present in iron meteorites. The microstructure of the cloudy zone in Saint Severin was coarser than that in Kernouve , due to the higher Ni content and slower cooling rate of the former. Three microstructural zones were observed in the outer taenite rim of both meteorites, the origin of which is considered likely to be due to the presence of ordered domain boundaries or to the presence of two phases FeNi and FeNi3 in the high-Ni region of the outer taenite rim.