Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Magnesium Powder

CycloRook - 28-3-2022 at 12:43

I hate working with magnesium turning.

Does anyone have a source for reagent (not alloyed) magnesium powder that doesn't require you to buy from sigma.

B(a)P - 28-3-2022 at 12:51

You can get 20 mesh from Chemcraft.

macckone - 28-3-2022 at 13:57

unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.

CycloRook - 28-3-2022 at 14:06

Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.
my God that would be bad.

Do you have a recommendation for stuff that not too fine.

The above mentioned 20 mesh would that work ?

Texium - 28-3-2022 at 14:11

What do you hate about working with magnesium turnings?

SplendidAcylation - 28-3-2022 at 14:16

Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.



Why do you have to let air in?

Magnesium ribbon has an advantage over granules, powder, or turnings, which is that you can use sandpaper on it to remove oxidation (take this with a pinch of salt, I guess, my one attempt at a Grignard was a failure)

CycloRook - 28-3-2022 at 14:26

Quote: Originally posted by Texium  
What do you hate about working with magnesium turnings?
You have to get the egg stirrer started it makes a bunch of noise getting the turning into a 24/40 is annoying they get jammed the reaction takes forever.

crow6283 - 28-3-2022 at 14:46

A short period of time in an ultrasonic bath helps kicking them off, and/or a little tiny iodine crystal.

macckone - 28-3-2022 at 22:13

Quote: Originally posted by SplendidAcylation  
Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.



Why do you have to let air in?

Magnesium ribbon has an advantage over granules, powder, or turnings, which is that you can use sandpaper on it to remove oxidation (take this with a pinch of salt, I guess, my one attempt at a Grignard was a failure)

If you don't let air in, when it does get exposed to air it immediately ignites. UV flash bang type ignites. It can and has caused severe injury.

macckone - 28-3-2022 at 22:28

Quote: Originally posted by CycloRook  
Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.
my God that would be bad.

Do you have a recommendation for stuff that not too fine.

The above mentioned 20 mesh would that work ?


20 mesh is good.
United nuclear sells 35 mesh which is also good.
finer than 60 mesh is going to be too reactive for uses other than pyrotechnics.
For reference 60 mesh has 8 times the surface area of 35 mesh.

Wheat flour is about 70 mesh.

CycloRook - 19-4-2022 at 14:43

Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
Quote: Originally posted by CycloRook  
Quote: Originally posted by macckone  
unitednuclear.com

I personally buy bulk metal or ribbon and powder it in a rock tumbler.
You have to let air in every few hours.
Do not leave running unattended.

There are many stories of explosions with magnesium powder, granules are a good alternative to turnings.
If you are making grignard reagent, the really fine stuff is too reactive.
my God that would be bad.

Do you have a recommendation for stuff that not too fine.

The above mentioned 20 mesh would that work ?


20 mesh is good.
United nuclear sells 35 mesh which is also good.
finer than 60 mesh is going to be too reactive for uses other than pyrotechnics.
For reference 60 mesh has 8 times the surface area of 35 mesh.

Wheat flour is about 70 mesh.
I have a supplier with 325 mesh. Can I use this for grignard if I do a slow addition and control temp or is it just simply too reactive?

CycloRook - 19-4-2022 at 14:47

Sigma is advertising this for grignard reactions so I would assume it's ok to use.

Screenshot_20220419-184633_Chrome.jpg - 295kBScreenshot_20220419-184627_Chrome.jpg - 388kB

Metallophile - 19-4-2022 at 16:13

I bought some magnesium turnings on ebay, and it actually ended up being powder. Not sure if that was a mistake, or they wanted to avoid mentioning it? It was fine with me though.

Edit: It was called "magnesium shavings"


[Edited on 4/20/2022 by Metallophile]

CycloRook - 19-4-2022 at 23:59

Quote: Originally posted by Metallophile  
I bought some magnesium turnings on ebay, and it actually ended up being powder. Not sure if that was a mistake, or they wanted to avoid mentioning it? It was fine with me though.

Edit: It was called "magnesium shavings"


[Edited on 4/20/2022 by Metallophile]
Did you use it for a grignard?

Metallophile - 20-4-2022 at 06:33

Quote: Originally posted by CycloRook  
Did you use it for a grignard?


No, I was attempting Nurdrage's menthol sodium production method.

SWIM - 20-4-2022 at 07:56

Quote: Originally posted by Metallophile  
I bought some magnesium turnings on ebay, and it actually ended up being powder. Not sure if that was a mistake, or they wanted to avoid mentioning it? It was fine with me though.

Edit: It was called "magnesium shavings"


[Edited on 4/20/2022 by Metallophile]


Some vendors just don't give a damn about accurate descriptions.
They figure most people won't bother to return the stuff.

Some of these vendors might not even understand the difference between what they're selling and how they're describing it.

This makes finding a vendor who knows what he's talking about and makes an effort to describe his products accurately tough sometimes.

When you find a good one remember who he is and treasure him.

A big warning sign is posts that are just overloaded with search terms: Magnesium powder granule turnings lump re-sublimed pure fireworks firestarter grignard.

A post like this really means, "I don't know or care what I have. Buy it, suckers!"

Fantasma4500 - 24-4-2022 at 02:31

isnt it possible to use magnesium-aluminium alloy? you can just bash that into powder with a hammer effortlessly

Triflic Acid - 29-4-2022 at 08:25

I can personally attest to united nuclears:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZGBBG82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tdep - 30-9-2023 at 03:58

Hi, does anyone have a source of Mg powder in Aus? Happy to buy it from another member too. I’m planning to make some Mg based flares, so some sort of course powder would be best.
Don’t feel super comfortable shipping it internationally, and that’s probably the reason it has disappeared from eBay etc

B(a)P - 1-10-2023 at 00:09

Quote: Originally posted by Tdep  
Hi, does anyone have a source of Mg powder in Aus? Happy to buy it from another member too. I’m planning to make some Mg based flares, so some sort of course powder would be best.
Don’t feel super comfortable shipping it internationally, and that’s probably the reason it has disappeared from eBay etc


I usually get mine here, not sure how long until they will restock. It might be worth an email.
https://auschems.com/index.php/chemicals/all-chemicals/magnalium-powder-mgal-50-50-325-mesh.html?___SID=U

Admagistr - 1-10-2023 at 08:21

Quote: Originally posted by B(a)P  
Quote: Originally posted by Tdep  
Hi, does anyone have a source of Mg powder in Aus? Happy to buy it from another member too. I’m planning to make some Mg based flares, so some sort of course powder would be best.
Don’t feel super comfortable shipping it internationally, and that’s probably the reason it has disappeared from eBay etc


I usually get mine here, not sure how long until they will restock. It might be worth an email.
https://auschems.com/index.php/chemicals/all-chemicals/magnalium-powder-mgal-50-50-325-mesh.html?___SID=U


Is it forbidden to send Mg powder to Australia from Central Europe?It is very well available here in high purity and in different grain sizes, from coarse to very fine.The question is if customs have it blacklisted because of terrorists??