Does your car have magnesium components?

[Science Abuse]

May want to find out:

[AJ]

GM transfer cases are Magnesium

[Science Abuse]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS4t39CEF1M

[evan9381]

the wheels on the enzo are magnesium

[desperado]

For those that care, the reason that this happened is that magnesium burns at 5400 degree's F. At this temperature it will break the bonds of water and you get this: Magnesium (solid) + steam → Magnesium hydroxide (aqueous) + Hydrogen (gas)

 

Of course Hydrogen gas is really explosive and will tend to ruin ones whole day if around it and a source of ignition.

 

This video, while rather graphic is only a small reaction of water and burning magnesium. Some years back in Dayton there was a train derailment. Cars on the train were hauling white phosphorous and magnesium. White phosphorous has an interesting trait of being able to self ignite when exposed to Oxygen and also burns fairly hot. When those tankers broke open and it ignited, the fire quickly spread to the magnesium. Of course the fire then was amazing, and magnesium burns 10 times brighter than the sun so it was a site to see. The local firemen, not knowing much about hazardous chemicals, do what firemen do, put ass loads of water on it. Mind you with that much magnesium burning, the heat was very intense so they were no where close to the fire, but when the ass loads of water hit the fire the fireball that was created incinerated the firemen, their truck and several other things nearby.

 

Something interesting, about magnesium and one of it's uses. The railroads use a mixture of steel filings and magnesium powder to weld track together. The mixture is put into a graphite lined crucible and put over a preheated joint to be welded. Once the track is to temperature, the fire is lit in the crucible and the steel filings are melted by the heat of the fire. A plug melts out of the bottom of the crucible and the molten steel pours out into a sand cast form that is sit around the joint. The whole process takes 3 minutes.

 

Bottom line, if you ever have a car fire, and your car has magnesium in it, get the hell back, tell the firemen what they are dealing with so they can get back and let it burn. There are documented cases of transmissions making it through road beds and bridges because of the heat, which is so intense it will crumble concrete below it.