metal question
- Thread starter PynkEye
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yes they are, but "to be sure" see if a maganet will stick to them. If no stick, it's not steel. or you could just look for rust, b/c aluminum won't rust.
Actually, aluminum will rust and does. Ever wonder why mercury isn't allowed on an airplane? :icon_wink It's a trick question!
not to hijack the thread (but his question is answered) "rust" is iron oxide, which coincidently, only occurs in iron and it's alloys. Correct me if I'm wrong. No offense intended, by the way.
Xtreme said:
Well, the covers are either aluminum or magnesium. Probably aluminum but I'm not sure.
Xtreme said:
Rust is simply the result of a metal (including aluminum) reacting with oxygen.
Metallic aluminum is very reactive with atmospheric oxygen and will rust away quickly unless it is protected. As aluminum starts to "rust", aluminum oxide is formed. The aluminum oxide crystallizes to form a thin invisible layer. This layer protects the metal from further oxidation, making it seem like it doesn't rust but if you prevent new layers of aluminum oxide from forming with a substance such as mercury, it will continue to rust very quickly and will soon be a pile of dust!
It's funny but if you were going to anodize them, you would just be coloring their rusted surface!
Technically only metals with iron "rusts". You know, the red stuff.
Aluminum alloy won't "rust". It "corrodes". Which is a similar thing to "rust" as John points out.
Its all in the terms you use.
Aluminum alloy won't "rust". It "corrodes". Which is a similar thing to "rust" as John points out.
Its all in the terms you use.
bluemax said:
"Rust" is just a very non-technical term for metal oxidization, such as iron, aluminum or even titanium. Here's some interesting reading...
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/article/0,20967,693558,00.html
and
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/article/0,20967,1076497,00.html
By the way, did he ever figure out if those valve covers are aluminum or magnesium? lol
In technical terms, "rust" is surface corrosion in only iron alloys. The term "corrosion" is used for all others. If you are talking to non-technical people, then maybe "rust" can be used to describe surface corrosion in non-iron alloys. But I'm sure most metalurgists don't consider rust as corrosion in anything other than iron......but than again, I don't think they ever use the term "rust" anyway.
There are a lot of other types of corrosion, other than surface corrosion, in all kinds of alloys.
I get your point.........John.
My 3000 pipe is starting to corrode. So I would guess that its aluminum. Magnesium corrodes extremely fast so it doesn't seem to be made from magnesium. It also seem heavy for magnesium.
There are a lot of other types of corrosion, other than surface corrosion, in all kinds of alloys.
I get your point.........John.
My 3000 pipe is starting to corrode. So I would guess that its aluminum. Magnesium corrodes extremely fast so it doesn't seem to be made from magnesium. It also seem heavy for magnesium.
You trying to prove a point here or something or just trying to get in the last "technical" word? lol Rust is just a layman term for metal corrosion most commonly in iron because that is the form most people see and recognize. You are right about one thing though, that that term is probably never used by "metallurgists." It's all good though, I think everyone gets the point. I just thought it was interesting is all.
indeed. rust, corrode, oxidize. it's all the same when broken down into simplistics.
aluminum does oxidize, but only one molecule at a time. if you were to constantly be cleaning off the oxidation over a period of years, and by years i mean YEARS... start at 10 years old, end at 90. the aluminum would slowly become more and more thin. but the oxidation helps keep any further damage away by being a protective layer. quite strange. it is not the cancer that rust is to steel.
aluminum does oxidize, but only one molecule at a time. if you were to constantly be cleaning off the oxidation over a period of years, and by years i mean YEARS... start at 10 years old, end at 90. the aluminum would slowly become more and more thin. but the oxidation helps keep any further damage away by being a protective layer. quite strange. it is not the cancer that rust is to steel.