Note on mag wheels

[Paul Meyers]

Sorry for the WOB, but how could magnesium be its own oxidizer? It's just a
metal, like calcium or sodium. These are all extremely combustible in air
(some even at room temperature) under the right conditions, but there's no
way that they can be their own oxidizer. They don't burn in a vacuum.

Paul Meyers 
Gray 87 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs boges 146 kMi ! 
Pearl 88 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs bilsteins 2pc-em k24 turbo 128 kMi  
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Blue 86 5KCSTQ parts car 



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Arman [mailto:armanmik at n-jcenter.com]
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 2:46 AM
To: quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Note on mag wheels




A quick aside to the lister who asked about magnesium mag wheels instead of
aluminum "mag" wheels.

Unprotected magnesium corrodes quickly and severely (road salt), and if you
manage to kerb a wheel and are very unlucky, you can actually set the wheel
on fire!

Procedure for dealing with a magnesium fire:

Grab everything and everyone important to you.

Exit vehicle.

Retire to safe distance.

Enjoy the show.


It will go out when it is all burned up. You cannot extinguish a magnesium
fire since it is both the fuel and the oxidizer, and it is a VERY hot fire,
so the damage won't be limited to the wheel, either. Think "road flare" -
they use powdered magnesium as the fuel.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman