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Converting Aluminium Scrap into Ingots

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Meldonmech:
 Hi Guy
           Over the weekend I decided to convert some aluminium scrap into ingots. Everything went well until a door handle I fed into the half full crucible went in at angle and the top part fell down into the gap between the furnace wall and the crucible. This then went white hot, set on fire and poured out of the gap around the burner entrance hole. I manged to extract the crucible, but when I removed the dross onto the ground it started to glow white and explode. I suspect the door handle contained some other additives. From my chemistry lessons at school I recall magnesium and phosphorus burning like that during an experiment.

               a) Can anyone verify my conclusions
               b) Has anyone else had this experience
               c)  How can one identify this metal
                                                                                    Cheers David

awemawson:
I had it once is almost similar conditions. I'd poured a casting using unknown scrap, then went to scrape out the dross from the still glowing crucible, which burst into exciting flames. I just covered it with floor sand and left it to sort itself out. My conclusion at the time was the same as yours - the scrap must have contained a certain amount of magnesium, which ignited when the dross was exposed to the atmosphere.

Pete.:
If you watched that program about the two towers monday night you'd have your answer. White hot aluminium introduced to water (from the ground in your case) makes hydrogen gas. It's all explained here at 28 minutes in:

http://www.channel5.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Twin+Towers%3A+The+Missing+Evidence

Meldonmech:

  Andrew and Pete thanks for your posts, I now believe that some items of scrap had a magnesium content, and seem to now recall, that I somewhere I read of the dangers of melting scrap magnesium car wheels.
       The tower video was very interesting and I had missed it.  The night before I did my casting it had rained, and the ground on which the dross was emptied was damp concrete, and this contributed to the explosions.

The only unresolved problem is how to identify aluminium/magnesium alloy, as I have not come to any conclusions. 

                                                   Cheers David
   

JD:
David, I was told to use vinegar, bare he metal and pour a few drops on and if it foams it contains magnesium, I have never tried it.
John   

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