"dan" wrote in message ...

Cydrome Leader wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:29:00 +0000 (UTC):

It's really more accurate to watch the video and realize aluminum is one
of those crazy metals that normally ships in a tank of kerosene or oil to
keep air and water away from it, and that the truly amazing part is that
the thin oxide layer it forms really seals the rest of the metal from
basically rusting away, or catching on fire or other stuff like that.

We get shipments of aluminum at work all the time. Just open in a
stake side truck. I think your confusing aluminum with sodium.
--

Dan H.
northshore MA.


Aluminum is as reactive as sodium. From my college chem days. The thing
that stops if from the fast oxidation / explosive oxidation with water like
sodium is the quickly formed oxide coating. Which protects the aluminum.