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Old 11-13-2008, 12:07 PM   #9
1_2Many

 
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Drives: 2008 Suzuki SX4
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SoCal
Posts: 785
Nice Wikipedia copy/paste there, but seriously people. Magnesium is what I do. I have been around it my whole life, it's part of the family business.

headpunter: true, blocks of magnesium don't spontaneously catch fire, BUT that doesn't mean you can't light one. Try telling that to the people at competition hill (Glamis) who light a VW block on fire for night illumination every year. I've seen it with my own eyes.

And the rumor that Magnesium is difficult to extinguish? Well yes if you try and use water, but no if you use a chemical extinguisher or better yet....sand, concrete mix, dirt or anything else that can smother the fire.

We have small Magnesium fires at my work often and we simply either push the part outside and let it burn or pour concrete dust on it. We also have giant chemical extinguishers, but after 20 years at this facility we've never had to use them.

On the other hand my father lost a friend in a horrible magnesium fire back in the day...it was the metal mill that had not been cleaning the walls so over the years magnesium dust had covered all the walls and ceilings....one day an electrical short caused a spark that lit the whole place up like one giant flash bulb. It was so quick that many didn't have a chance to escape. The fire burned so hot that the giant 10 X 20" wooden beams across roof charred a solid carbon shield around themselves and the firemen claimed this saved the structure from collapsing.
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