Magnesium miracle substance
Can magnesium ignite during welding?E. Keilau, by e-mail
No. Only pure magnesium can be lit with a lighter. It burns as a dazzling white flame in a fraction of a second. In practice, pure magnesium is not used. Magnesium is often only a small component of an aluminium alloy. Manufacturers try to reduce the weight of the alloys by adding magnesium to the aluminium parts. Magnesium weighs only about half as much as aluminium. It also improves the welding properties due to its low melting point. (Photo: Daniel Simon)
