Magnesium Fire: the most dangerous metal in the Machine Shop

Рет қаралды 23,218

6 жыл бұрын

We recently had quite a bit of magnesium in the shop we had to machine parts from, and it ALMOST resulted in a fire while IN THE MILLING MACHINE! Magnesium is strong, light weight and EXTREMELY flammable! while quite safe and inert in solid form, once cut into thin chips and shavings it can become easily combustible.
Since we had such a close call with the shavings, and i had 5 lbs of magnesium chips at my disposal, i thought it would be an interesting experiment to set off some of the chips in front of the camera.
all of my experiments were done with DRY magnesium, i was concerned that wet magnesium would be too dangerous to experiment with.
i performed 3 experiments:
a small handful of material - 0:42
1 lb of material - 1:57
3lbs of material - 5:47
view from underneath - 7:47 and 10:00
i found all of them interesting and i hope you do too. one of the most surprising parts of the experiments was discovering that ammonia is a byproduct of burning magnesium!

Пікірлер: 96

@mikesmicroshop4385 6 жыл бұрын

I suspect that this is not pure Magnesium. It seems to me that it is not burning as fast as ti should as compared to Magnesium that I have burned in the past! The reason you smell ammonia is because the heat of the burning Magnesium is high enough that some of the Magnesium is reacting with nitrogen in the air forming magnesium nitride, this then reacts with water in the air to form ammonia!

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

that makes a ton of sense! the magnesium is from some casting we machined so i suspect it was a casting grade and not pure magnesium.

@richardweltin1047 5 жыл бұрын

@@RayMAKES could be am60 or az91d mag

@ericputian124 5 жыл бұрын

Im a chemist. Magnesuim flakes is easy to burn

@comradegarrett1202 4 жыл бұрын

the yellow color is probably magnesium nitride. not sure about the green, could be from the stainless steel interacting. might be an Fe complex, might even be Cr

@frankroberts9320 Жыл бұрын

I hope you wore welding goggles. The light from a magnesium fire is rich in UVA, UVB and UVC radiation. It will give you welders flash in a heartbeat. If you want to see a violent reaction, try spraying water on it (from a distance). It will literally split water into explosive hydrogen and oxygen. That's when the show kicks into high gear.

@RayMAKES Жыл бұрын

yes i was careful... but not with my feet

@majogl188 3 жыл бұрын

The green is where your ammonia is coming from... Magnesium burning (by the way, way hotter than steel melting point) is so hot, that it reacts with the nitrogen in the atmosphere and forms Mg3N2, which then reacts with air moisture (water) to create Magnesium hydroxide, and ammonia...

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome, thanks

@taiwanluthiers Жыл бұрын

There's a periodic element of video on this... basically burn some magnesium, then cover it with a beaker. The magnesium will use up the oxygen, then the heat from the magnesium will then burn the nitrogen forming ammonia when it comes into contact with water. If you see yellowish green powder in the magnesium after burning, it's magnesium nitride.

@WorldofKlown 5 жыл бұрын

Eye protection required that stuff is burning hot enough to put off both cornea searing UV and cataract causing IR

@RayMAKES 5 жыл бұрын

yes, you are spot on

@flargarbason1740 5 жыл бұрын

That does not seem like pure magnesium. It’s most likely bonded with a cheaper chemical. Pure magnesium burns much faster

@RayMAKES 5 жыл бұрын

i was thinking that, particularly since it was a machining grade

@Dashed0 4 жыл бұрын

Pure Magnesium has pretty poor mechanical properties so it needs to be alloyed to obtain any decent level of strength.

@danthemakerman 6 жыл бұрын

Such a trip it looks like the flame was undulating underneath.

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what it was doing but it was like a fog of flame, very strange and beautiful. Sadly the camera really could not capture it properly

@lexiphantom7770 5 жыл бұрын

magnesium burns at up to 3000 degrees F enough of it would easily melt through steel

@dougrobins8291 6 жыл бұрын

I am glad you did not try to extinguish the fire with water. It is hot enough to cause a steam explosion, scattering molten metal all around (as in anti personnel mines and flares). The burning magnesium can extract oxygen from the water, leaving hydrogen gas as a byproduct which would contribute to the steam explosion. If you ask a firefighter how to deal with a magnesium fire, the answer is to watch it. Your video makes a very strong case for good housekeeping, and isolated storage, when machining magnesium and alloys.

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I looked up a few videos before I tried it, everything indicated not to try to extinguish it

@56Spookdog 6 жыл бұрын

Doug Robins the only thing I know to use on a magnesium fire is a D-Class fire extinguisher $$$.

@dougrobins8291 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I agree. Smothering the fire with an inert substance (sand is usually mentioned) will remove the oxygen from the fire triangle (fuel-oxygen-heat), but you have to be brave due to the heat generated from burning and have an ample supply of sand, with the means of delivering it very fast. Magnesium (or aluminum) fires are very scary.

@Biffo1262 5 жыл бұрын

Copious amounts of water does the job provided you don't have any adjacent fire risk. In some circumstances you don't have any other choice due to logistical constraints. Very dry sand is ok for small magnesium fires.

@philosophicalinquirer312 5 жыл бұрын

only safe way of putting out a magnesium fire is covering it with sand. It cannot extract the oxygen from silicon dioxide (melting temp too high)

@jayday4879 Жыл бұрын

The smell is produced from aluminium and magnesium swarf when stored in poor conditions a plastic tub with an open top can self ignite if it gets wet

@RayMAKES Жыл бұрын

good to know

@ragtie6177 6 жыл бұрын

That was cool as all he'll Ray!

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, gkad you liked it

@robertcavaness4433 5 жыл бұрын

I work at magnesium elektron in illinois. Thats the only mag plant in America. There was one in ohio but it shut down

@saxon215 5 жыл бұрын

I would have loved to have seen this in a mix with iron oxide powder and aluminium chips to see what might a fire be like in a metal scrap bin

@RayMAKES 5 жыл бұрын

that sounds like a dangerous mix... oh what fun!

@funbombz2437 6 жыл бұрын

Hey ray thanks for giving me that prototype of the spinner!

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

hmm, refresh my memory

@funbombz2437 6 жыл бұрын

Oops! Sorry, I lied! That was someone else!

@mindthependulum6245 6 жыл бұрын

If I remember correctly, isn't magnesium self oxygenating? If it is, that means it doesn't stop burning under water or even outer space. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

good question, im not sure if it is. but i do know that it will steal oxygen from anything it can, water, carbon dioxide etc.

@philosophicalinquirer312 5 жыл бұрын

only safe way of putting out a magnesium fire is covering it with sand. It cannot extract the oxygen from silicon dioxide (melting temp too high)

@frankroberts9320 Жыл бұрын

@@philosophicalinquirer312 Actually it can reduce SiO2 to silicon, but the Mg and the sand must be finely divided. Magnesium powder and fumed silica will react explosively with a huge thump and the brightest flash you're likely to see in your lifetime.

@bumstudios8817 6 жыл бұрын

Haha safety sandals;) good video god bless brother!

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you liked it. I figured I better mention it before the safety police started to chime it

@bumstudios8817 6 жыл бұрын

Ray MAKES Very interesting, and good to keep the saftey in mind for shavings and cuts. I have heard titanium is bad too. Have you tried this with ti?

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

I haven't tried it with titanium, but I will keep it in mind next time we have it in the shop.

@oldkins 6 жыл бұрын

4 adds in a 13 min video?

@bumstudios8817 6 жыл бұрын

oldkins i dont think the creator has control over that... but at least he isn't being demonatized or censored

@shelterskelter 6 жыл бұрын

Old VW Bugs used to have large amounts of Mag under the hood. Old Smokeeater in my area rolled up to a fire, he was Captain. Boys were at a distance knowing what was going on. He grabs the hose to put the engine out. First hit of water the engine bay exploded and sent burning magnesium evevrywhere. No one was hurt. Caps eyes were the size of pie plates and the boys said he was whiter than a sheet.

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

yeah, a lesson they learned the hard way!

@Biffo1262 5 жыл бұрын

I and a colleague were once blown off our feet when attending a scrapyard fire. There were a number of old Saab's and their engines have some magnesium components. Copious amounts of water do the job in open air but within a structure you gently apply VERY dry sand or dry powder recharges. Never use a dry powder extinguisher as it will blast the magnesium turnings all over the place.

@ericliu5491 3 жыл бұрын

I suggest that next time you do this you try to cook a burger, hot dog or ramen over the magnesium fire. If it works then you could use magnesium instead of propane or charcoal for cooking.

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

I don't know, it discharged a tremendous amount of ammonia

@ericliu5491 3 жыл бұрын

@@RayMAKES 1) Ammonia is also flammable - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia so if your reaction somehow made ammonia please explain to me why you couldn't have lit that on fire as well for extra energy. 2) You could put the food on a cooking surface like a steel plate and then put the cooking surface over the magnesium fire so that the ammonia would not contact and contaminate the food - (ever seen the flat grills at restaurants before.)

@yaykruser Жыл бұрын

@@ericliu5491 Ammonia combustion is difficult to achive without a catalyst, says your article...

@ClimptonDiddlehopper 6 жыл бұрын

This is why VW bug engine fires were so bad. The older cases were magnesium. Once the fire got hot enough to start melting the case they erupted.

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

that would make sense, this stuff is not playing games

@maxideas9393 2 жыл бұрын

Throw water on it from a distance

@maxhardy123 6 жыл бұрын

the product after burning magnesium metal is magnesium oxide..however Im not certain ammonia will be given off....so my assumption is that the magnesium you burnt is not pure magnesium..

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

You are probably right, the magnesium was a casting so it might be a grade that has other metals in it for that purpose. Also could be a reaction with the aluminum and stainless steel as well

@frankroberts9320 Жыл бұрын

Actually, magnesium will happily burn in pure nitrogen producing greenish yellow magnesium nitride. The nitride reacts with water or humid air to form ammonia and magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia). This was one way of producing ammonia before the Haber-Bosch process was discovered.

@peepas2633 5 жыл бұрын

"...just a little spark." *lights magnesium with blowtorch*

@RayMAKES 5 жыл бұрын

it was just a lighter... not sure what passes for a blowtorch in your area, but a lighter barely lights a cigarette

@peepas2633 5 жыл бұрын

@@RayMAKES it was just a lil joke friend, I didn't mean anything by it.

@shaggyrogers3448 5 жыл бұрын

Our factory burned down in a magnesium fire. Sparks were flying like 4th of july.

@RayMAKES 5 жыл бұрын

yeah, it is definitely a metal to respect!

@joeanderson444 4 жыл бұрын

Hope it doesn't start down pouring rain! You'll have a surprise then!

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

Would have been cool

@rotorblade9508 4 жыл бұрын

Magnesium chips can react with water to form hydrogen which can create a risk of explosion

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

That would have been cool

@tmwall25 4 жыл бұрын

what does it smell like?

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

Ammonia

@rentawash1 6 жыл бұрын

Try laying out a shape on aluminum plate and see if you get yourself a poor man's plasma cutter!

@RayMAKES 6 жыл бұрын

That's a damn good idea!!

@DavidFMayerPhD 3 жыл бұрын

Inadequate safety precautions. Need: eye protection, fireproof gloves, fireproof shoes. You are lucky that you did not burn your hands or feet.

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

Lucky is my middle name

@DavidFMayerPhD 3 жыл бұрын

@@RayMAKES Luck is notoriously fickle. Use proper protection else, sooner or later, you will be sorry that you did not.

@brandong8790 4 жыл бұрын

You should be wearing welding goggles or mass becauseyou can get like welders burn in your eye which is like a sunburn of the eye and if you watch it for too long it can permanently hell your vision and the welders burn of the eye is so f****** painful and annoying you can't get to sleep so I hope you had fun with that

@RayMAKES 3 жыл бұрын

I did. did you have fun complaining like a school girl?