Solved: MH17: is this part of a missile? [Concrete Grinding Pads]

[mvdb22]

Journalist Jeroen Akkermans made many photos on the crashsite.
One of his pictures shows a round objects with smaller objects inside it. Some of the objects are missing.

What is this objects? Could it be a part of the missle? For example fragments used in the warhead?
The original picture is here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeroenakkermans/14726302814/in/set-72157645471359080

UPDATE: It is a concrete grinding pad:
https://superabrasive.us/products/concrete/diamond-tools/polish.html

 

[Mick West]

Journalist Jeroen Akkermans made many photos on the crashsite.
One of his pictures shows a round objects with smaller objects inside it. Some of the objects are missing.

What is this objects? Could it be a part of the missle? For example fragments used in the warhead?

It's very unlikely (if not impossible) that something designed to fragment would survive detonation. It look more like some kind of rubber bumper. It appears to lay across the ground like it's flexible.

 

[cloudspotter]

It's very unlikely (if not impossible) that something designed to fragment would survive detonation. It look more like some kind of rubber bumper. It appears to lay across the ground like it's flexible.

How close would you say it was to that seatbelt buckle?

 

[Trailblazer]

This photo shows two five more of the same thing (lower centre).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeroenakkermans/14725458801/in/set-72157645471359080


Edit, actually, if you take a closer look, there are five of them, with some edge-on and/or upside down.

I thought at first that the black circular thing at the front was some kind of container for them, but on closer inspection it's just the back of a fifth one of the same objects.

Whatever they are, they're made in Bulgaria. Any ideas? I wonder if the white rectangular part, which looks like some kind of electronic connector, is related?

 

[cloudspotter]

Certainly looks like some kind of rubber bumper as Mick said. If the one in the first pic had turned out to be smaller I was going to hazard a guess at a 'foot' off the bottom of a suitcase.

 

[Trailblazer]

Judging from the other objects in the photo (shoes etc), I would say they are maybe about 4 to 5 inches in diameter?

 

[cloudspotter]

Judging from the other objects in the photo (shoes etc), I would say they are maybe about 4 to 5 inches in diameter?

I'd say that's about right. Luckily there wasn't anyone around in the office to see me holding up a ruler against my shoe.

 

[David Coulter]

Given that these are in small piles they are likely something being shipped as cargo or samples. The label on the back also looks new. They look like non-slip feet. The structural rails in the photo are from the cargo hold.

https://www.google.ie/search?q=777+...2Fphotos%2Faroeplanes%2F4982245916%2F;640;480

 

[Trailblazer]

Asking on the ever-useful Straight Dope Message Board comes up trumps.

I'm pretty sure they are abrasive pads for polishing concrete floors. The "100" figure means 100mm diameter probably refers to the grade of the grit (lower number = coarser grit). They're made of resin with diamond abrasive, and are backed with Velcro to attach onto a polishing machine.

Compare:

http://www.dhgate.com/product/marble-floor-polishing-pads-diamond-floor/157580240.html

(This photo shows a 50mm pad)

 

[Ray Von Geezer]

Whatever they are, they're made in Bulgaria. Any ideas? I wonder if the white rectangular part, which looks like some kind of electronic connector, is related?

The rectangular thing looks like a single-pole circuit breaker, like you'd see in a domestic consumer unit. I'm not sure whether they'd use those types of breakers on an aircraft, so perhaps that was in the cargo too?

Ray Von

*edit* - they're normally about 90mm tall, though I can't really tell if that fits with the disks being 100mm in diameter?

 

[Mick West]

https://superabrasive.us/products/concrete/diamond-tools/polish.html

 

[Mick West]

I wonder if the white rectangular part, which looks like some kind of electronic connector, is related?

Looks like a European miniature circuit breaker:
http://www.cn-cqc.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=247

There's all kinds of random stuff there, with the luggage, cargo, and the plane itself all mixed together.

 

[Trailblazer]

So, one minor correction to the above, it looks like "100" refers to the grit, not the size.

 

[mvdb22]

Amazing you have been able to find out what this is! Thanks.