Melting magnesium?

[Pyro09]

Hi,

 

yesterday I thougt about melting magnesium swarf in my little enameling oven. This kind of oven gets pretty hot, around 850°C / 1562°F / 1123.15K .

Is it dangerous if I wrap the swarf in aluminium foil (since I want to avoid oxidation) and put it in a can (and of course, the filled can in the oven )?

Could the magnesium ignite?

 

Kind regards!

 

Pyro09

[NightHawkInLight]

Hi,

 

yesterday I thougt about melting magnesium swarf in my little enameling oven. This kind of oven gets pretty hot, around 850°C / 1562°F / 1123.15K .

Is it dangerous if I wrap the swarf in aluminium foil (since I want to avoid oxidation) and put it in a can (and of course, the filled can in the oven )?

Could the magnesium ignite?

 

Kind regards!

 

Pyro09

I would not try that. Ignition is more than possible, and there wouldn't be a good option for putting it out safely. Least of all before damaging your oven. Look into the thread on making magnalium around here somewhere, I think there might even be something in the member tutorial section. The best option I have seen is to use a charcoal chimney bought at any hardware store to heat the Mg in a soup can. The charcoal burns most of the oxygen out of the air before it reaches the molten Mg, greatly reducing the risk of a major fire. Not to mention, if the Mg did start burning uncontrollably, you would feel better just backing away from the fire instead of watching your nice oven go up in flames. The picture enters my mind of the can spilling out of the oven onto you as it's attempted to be put out, I don't think there's a happy ending there.

[Pyro09]

That's why I would like to melt my magnesium shavings - I need solid cubes for making magnalium. I searched for a special topic about melting Mg, but I only found these magnalium topics. Isn't there any chance to get the shavings melted?

Thanks Nighthawkinglight for your safety adivices! I won't try that.

 

Kind regards, Pyro09

[Richtee]

Hi,

 

yesterday I thougt about melting magnesium swarf in my little enameling oven. This kind of oven gets pretty hot, around 850°C / 1562°F / 1123.15K .

Is it dangerous if I wrap the swarf in aluminium foil (since I want to avoid oxidation) and put it in a can (and of course, the filled can in the oven )?

Could the magnesium ignite?

 

Kind regards!

 

Pyro09

Don't do it dude. As suggested, check the magalum thread out. Shit burns like a star... i'm not kidding. You can't even look at it without possible eye damage. Think welding flash...or sand in yer eye. Same feeling.

[Pyro09]

Ok, as posted before, I won't try it But I still need my magesium shavings meltet as solid bars since I would like to produce magnalium later.. isn't there any possibilty?

 

Kind regards from Europe

Edited September 9, 2009 by Pyro09

[NightHawkInLight]

That's why I would like to melt my magnesium shavings - I need solid cubes for making magnalium. I searched for a special topic about melting Mg, but I only found these magnalium topics. Isn't there any chance to get the shavings melted?

Thanks Nighthawkinglight for your safety adivices! I won't try that.

 

Kind regards, Pyro09

I would just try ramming the crucible as full of shavings as possible to minimize how much air is inside, then putting a steel cover on top. I think that should do fine when cooking in a charcoal chimney. Heat it, then let it cool completely before opening. When you believe the Mg to be melted, put a steel 5 gallon bucket or the like over the entire chimney to smother the charcoal. You wouldn't want to let it all burn up since the charcoal is what holds your crucible upright. Unless you modify the chimney to support the can. It could be done with a few steel rods inserted through the center in an orientation like this: =(=)=

[andyboy]

Just make magnalium with the shavings.

 

Melt a load of aluminium and then load the shavings into the melted aluminium. Stir, and voila, magnalium.

[Pyro09]

Just make magnalium with the shavings.

 

Melt a load of aluminium and then load the shavings into the melted aluminium. Stir, and voila, magnalium.

 

I've tried that before. But the shavings oxidate too quick, the don't even melt until they are fully transformed into MgO (I think they do that because they have a big surface).

That's why I need the solid magnesium bars.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Pyro09

[Sambo]

Do you have a press and a comet pump? You could theoretically press the shavings into pucks with the pump.

Maybe worth a try if all else fails.

[Arthur]

Read the topics on making magnalium, then read thm again in detail.

 

Do not attempt to fuse magnesium - it WILL burn. (Unless you have a vacuum furnace or a good inert atmosphere).

 

To make magnalium melt some clean aluminium in a crucible and add clean magnesium with stirring to the molten aluminium.

 

Nothing except dry powderd magnesium chloride or bromide will extinguish an magnalium fire. Keeping the lid on the crucible assists in keeping flame away from the metal.

[NightHawkInLight]

Read the topics on making magnalium, then read thm again in detail.

 

Do not attempt to fuse magnesium - it WILL burn. (Unless you have a vacuum furnace or a good inert atmosphere).

 

To make magnalium melt some clean aluminium in a crucible and add clean magnesium with stirring to the molten aluminium.

 

Nothing except dry powderd magnesium chloride or bromide will extinguish an magnalium fire. Keeping the lid on the crucible assists in keeping flame away from the metal.

Did you read the whole thread? I think you missed the problem he's having.

[Arthur]

If one melts magnesium it will oxidise or flame unless you have an inert atmosphere over it.

 

If you melt aluminium it will melt safely.

 

So melt the aluminium and throw the magnesium turnings in by weight and stir with a steel rod using a stout glove etc.

 

Pour the liquid metal alloy out in a fine stream into water. You will get brittle popcorn sized chunks of magnalium ready for breaking and milling. 50/50 MgAl is brittle and easy to break and mill, other mixtures are tougher.

 

If you try to melt the magnesium first then you will have a fire in your furnace

[NightHawkInLight]

If one melts magnesium it will oxidise or flame unless you have an inert atmosphere over it.

 

If you melt aluminium it will melt safely.

 

So melt the aluminium and throw the magnesium turnings in by weight and stir with a steel rod using a stout glove etc.

 

Pour the liquid metal alloy out in a fine stream into water. You will get brittle popcorn sized chunks of magnalium ready for breaking and milling. 50/50 MgAl is brittle and easy to break and mill, other mixtures are tougher.

 

If you try to melt the magnesium first then you will have a fire in your furnace

The problem he is having is that the Mg is oxidizing as it is being thrown into the molten Al. Therefore, he needs to remelt the Mg to decrease its surface area. We have already discussed that it must be done in an inert atmosphere, which could be created within a covered crucible surrounded by burning charcoal. What little oxygen is in the crucible at the start will be quickly removed at the first sign of oxidation, leaving an inert atmosphere for the rest to melt in. Honestly, read the thread, it is obvious that he already knows the basics of making MgAl.

[Bonny]

The problem he is having is that the Mg is oxidizing as it is being thrown into the molten Al. Therefore, he needs to remelt the Mg to decrease its surface area. We have already discussed that it must be done in an inert atmosphere, which could be created within a covered crucible surrounded by burning charcoal. What little oxygen is in the crucible at the start will be quickly removed at the first sign of oxidation, leaving an inert atmosphere for the rest to melt in. Honestly, read the thread, it is obvious that he already knows the basics of making MgAl.

 

 

Another thing that might help in the covered crucible, is a ball of newspaper, which should help eat up any extra oxygen. I think though that if pressed with enough force, the idea of pucks might be OK. I'm sure there would be some oxidation, but better than loose shavings for sure.

[Pyro09]

Thanks for your nice support =)

I'll try to press the shavings into pucks tomorrow and I'll post the results here.

 

Kind regards

Edited September 9, 2009 by Pyro09

[Mumbles]

Assuming relatively constant density, the shavings will float on top of the molten Al, and simply oxidize. Stirring obviously helps. Maybe one of the previously mentioned fluxes would "wet" the Mg enough to allow it to survive long enough to alloy.

[Swede]

Maybe melting an appropriate flux (borax?) and drizzling it over the Mg shavings and chips, and stirring like mad, would coat the Mg chips before the flux solidified. Then, adding the coated chips to the Al melt, getting them submerged immediately. there'd be protection long enough to get the Mg melted.

 

Trap the Mg in a stainless mesh basket, then force the basket to the bottom of the melt? SOunds dangerous but maybe there's something mechanical like that that would work.

 

Otherwise, I have no idea.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Swede

[tentacles]

Flux may help, but you'll have to choose one with an appropriate melting temp and a LOWER DENSITY than Mg! Good luck with that - borax is so close to the same density I don't think it will work well, and do you really want sodium contamination in your MgAl? KCl is considerably more dense than Mg.

 

I don't see what the problem is with melting the shavings into MgAl - I've done it, with even relatively fine stuff (20 mesh) and had no problems, no excess of slag. The key is to stir as you pour it in.

Edited September 10, 2009 by tentacles

[Pyro09]

I don't see what the problem is with melting the shavings into MgAl - I've done it, with even relatively fine stuff (20 mesh) and had no problems, no excess of slag. The key is to stir as you pour it in.

 

 

How did you manage that? Did you put the shaves simply in the melted Al?

 

Kind regards