Storing magnesium

[Mirror-Saw]

So this is an odd post. Is there a high chance that if you shave some magnesium off and store it that it will ignite if you carry it around a bit ?

Also, anyone ever have a science teacher that did a little experiment in class where he/she had strips of magnesium and dropped one into a beaker of...i think it was some type of acid?

If you can find them, they might be an easy way of using magnesium to start a fire without having to work off little chips of it and dull your tools in the process. I'm not sure of how to find 'em though...

 

[rifon2]

Pure magnesium doesn't just ignite spontaneously.

 

[RokJok]

Mg ribbon, 1/8" wide x 120 feet long, less than $12.
http://sciencekit.com/category.asp?c=440782
(From a different site: 12" of Mg ribbon has about 30 seconds of (rather intense) burn time.)

Remember -- Google is your friend.

 

[RubberJohnny]

My science teacher showed us that little experiment a month or so ago. and it was hydrochloric acid that he dropped it in I believe.

 

[DaveH]

In Pyrotechincs I believe loose magnesium shavings are coated with stearic something (wax?) to prevent friction, static from setting it off. Increasing the surface area and decreasing the particle size lowers the ignition point.

 

[mete]

While small amounts of magnesium shavings are no problem large amounts are !! Shavings in a machine shop are mixed with sand for disposal. Magnesium fires are extremely intense [incendiary bombs, flares ] and fire fighting is specialized using fine salt and/or sand.