Safe handling of magnesium
Magnesium can be safely handled with a thorough understanding of its basic physical properties and properties.
This page introduces the safe handling of magnesium.
General properties
- Magnesium reacts with carbon dioxide, sulfurous acid gas, and humidity in the atmosphere and it forms a film of oxides, sulfides, and hydroxides.
- When molten magnesium reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere, it burns slowly while emitting a flash of light and it forms white magnesium oxide (MgO).
- Molten magnesium also reacts with nitrogen in the atmosphere to form brown magnesium nitride (Mg3N2).
Magnesium nitride reacts violently with water and generates high heat. - When a moderate amount of water comes into contact with the burning magnesium, it decomposes the water and generates hydrogen and oxygen and causes an explosion and accelerating the combustion of magnesium.
- Chips and fines containing a moderate amount of water are easily ignited by an open flame, decompose water to generate hydrogen and oxygen, and burn violently.
- When the molten metal comes into contact with heated iron oxide (such as the oxide scale generated from an iron pan), it reacts violently. (Thermite reaction)
- Magnesium does not react with water at room temperature, but reacts with water in hot water or an aqueous solution containing chloride ions and it forms magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2 while generating hydrogen gas.
Precautions for handling
- Storage of materials, scraps and products
- Pressing, machining, polishing
- Fire extinguishing method
If it has a certain volume, it will not ignite spontaneously and will not burn easily.
There is almost no danger unless the environment is heated above the melting point.
Please be careful when handling fine powder, chips, polishing powder, burrs, etc. generated by processing.
Please thoroughly clean the finishing processing plant.
Please do not use a household vacuum cleaner to clean the finishing plant.
Please use a tool that does not generate sparks.
Please do not use power tools.
Please make sure that static electricity is not generated.
Fine powder and burrs can be easily ignited by an open flame and they may cause a fire.
Please be sure to use a wet dust collector when polishing.
Please take out the fine powder collected by the wet dust collector so that it does not collect, and perform chemical treatment.
Please extinguish the fire by covering it with a metal fire extinguishing agent, dry sand, flux, graphite powder, Dalai powder (cutting powder of iron-based metal), etc.
It is strictly forbidden to use water, carbon dioxide, ABC fire extinguisher, foam fire extinguisher, etc. to extinguish the fire.