Etched with crystalline lines and voids, this copper-aluminum billet by Electron Impressions is a Widmanstätten pattern of an iron meteorite. A maker’s curiosity led to this handcrafted piece, where science meets art.
Electron Impressions was inspired by the hidden beauty of meteorites and wanted to replicate their Widmanstätten patterns. These patterns are formed over millions of years as molten iron and nickel cool in space. These lattices are impossible to create naturally on Earth. Undeterred, Electron Impressions decided to try to make one in a human timeframe.
Sale
LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Advanced Building Kit for Kids Ages 10 and Up, NASA Toy with...
- Feed a passion for science and technology – Kids can learn more about the challenges of space exploration with this LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover...
- Conduct a test flight – This advanced building kit for kids ages 10 and up includes a buildable toy version of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, which...
- AR brings the mission to life – The accompanying augmented reality app experience lets kids dive into the details of the rover and its mission
These patterns form when meteorites’ molten metal cools slowly—mere degrees per million years—forming Taenite and Kamacite phases with needle-like crystals. Replicating this geological process is impossible, so Electron Impressions used a copper-aluminum alloy. Its intermetallic compound and eutectic mixture mimics meteorite structures, creating rod-shaped crystals against a contrasting background, achievable in a workshop.
Starting with a 45% copper, 55% aluminum mix, Electron Impressions melted and slowly cooled the alloy, producing large crystals that fell short of the meteorite’s delicate lattice. Refining the blend to 40% copper produced a crisscross pattern, pretty cool if not exactly like the cosmic originals.
The billet’s crystalline patterns and voids are like a fallen star, made not in space but in a garage. It invites dreamers and collectors to hold a piece of the universe, reimagined by humans. For those who love meteorites, this is a tangible connection to the stars, and that with creativity and skill, the universe can be brought to your hands.
[Source]
