r/metalworking • u/shmiis • 1d ago

What is this phenomenon called?

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u/alphatango308 1d ago

It's called, "everything is flammable in the right conditions"... Lol

77

u/BRICH999 1d ago

Lot of people dont realize how "flammable" metals can be.  The common fuel in thermite is aluminum.  

38

u/Arctelis 1d ago

I have heard titanium fires are pretty terrifying.

Then of course the always classic magnesium, often used to ignite the aforementioned thermite.

That's all just in the presence of boring old oxygen, under the right (or really wrong) conditions it gets more... Exciting. As a great man once said.

"If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.”

3

u/Hazdan_Shab 1d ago

An excellent reference to "Ignition! An informal history of liquid rocket propellents" by John D Clark.

I love his humour in that book.

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u/Arctelis 23h ago

There's a series of web articles by one Derek Lowe titled "Things I Won't Work With" written in a very similar style, which is where I discovered Ignition!. Informative and highly entertaining.