Maja - 6-1-2008 at 13:08
What's the best source of magnesium ? Ribbon ? Can you link me to some shop ? I found this one http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Magnesium-Ribbon-Roll-25-gr... , but I think it's too expensive. Maybe some alternative sources ? Thanks.
microcosmicus - 6-1-2008 at 14:23
You might want to look at metal suppliers since Mg is also
used as a light-weight metal. If you manage to locate some
in a scrapyard that happens to have some Mg lying around,
you would be in luck. Some people have mentioned having
obtained Mg swarf for the asking at machine shops.
So, if you want to locate cheap Mg, my advice would be to
look in your phone book under "metal", "scrap", "junkyard",
and "machine shop" and ask whether they carry Mg.
chemkid - 6-1-2008 at 14:27
Do you need ribbon or just any magnesium? The pricing doesn't look terrible. I like the site looks: legit and has nitric acid etc. reasonable prices -
large quantity though. If you just want lumps of magnesium there are probably more affordable sources, such as fire starters.
Chemkid
Maja - 6-1-2008 at 15:02
I will use this Mg for reacting with Ethanol, forming methoxide. Is ribbon ok for that ? Or I need powder ?
The_Davster - 6-1-2008 at 15:08
For Mg ribbon that is the best price I have seen.
But for bulk magnesium it is horrible. A few years ago I got a couple kilo ingot of magnesium off www.magnesiumsales.com, , for around 30$ IIRC but unfortunatly it seems to no longer exist.
Firestarters are a better deal, and for your intended purpose shavings/powder will do fine(assuming your reaction works, I am not sure)
for example here are some of the firestarters.
Or you can scrounge as mentioned above.
[Edited on 6-1-2008 by The_Davster]
Mumbles - 6-1-2008 at 16:21
I knew the owners of magnesiumsales sort of well. They used to be somewhat frequent posters on APC. They sold off the last of their stock, and told
me that they were not planning to get anymore in. It's a shame I didn't jump on his offer. He offered me an amazing price I really shouldn't have
passed up.
Several of the domestic pyrotechnic suppliers will sell Mg powder. Probably a bit fine for what you're planning. Depending on the amount you need,
I'd try the junk yard. Say you are doing metal casting. It's pretty common. If you only need a few hundred grams, max, the firestarters are likely
the best source for ease of aquisition.
www.magnesiumsales.com
MadHatter - 7-1-2008 at 13:53
I haven't seen their site up on the web in a long time. IIRC, the were in the state of
Washington(not D.C.). I bought 25 LBS in large ingots a few years ago.
If you look in a junkyard and correct me if I'm wrong - old VW beetle engine blocks are
made of magnesium.
I've plenty of Mg for years but I will certainly miss that company. Back then weight
for the money on the lowest quantities was still a better deal than any ribbon or
firestarter I could find. They even advertised on their main page about the savings
over the firestarters.
[Edited on 2008/1/8 by MadHatter]