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If you plan to pursue this hobby seriously, it might be worthwhile investing in some precautionary handling equipment and some safe storage devices.
As far as I know about Magnesium, it is readily combustible in fine form (powder, ribbons, etc). It is much more stable (does not ignite easily) in bulk (ingots, bars, etc). However, it can still start to burn if some other means of ignition is available and both water and carbon-dioxide based extinguishers wouldn't work out. You will have to ensure safe storage for it.
Also, I am not sure whether you are interested in only collecting ingots for metal collection or open to other forms of metal as it is wires, sheets, foils (>99% purity) are more readily available and sometimes cheaper too.
Pure_Metals
You might be able to find some other forms of pure metals on the above site. However, I would recommend reading up safety precautions regarding storage and handling as they vary considerably from metal to metal.
Here are some useful resources for determining what all metals might be safe to handle. By principle, flammable and corrosive ones should either not be collected or stored in safe storage devices. Some of the hazards listed for the given material might seen exaggerated due to the fact these are probably used in research lab or industrial environments where all potential hazardous effects must be listed. The third reference is possibly the best reference as it contains proper material safety data sheets which cover the different hazards, handling and storage aspects.
Alkali metals - safety and hazards
Chemical safety specifications
Material safety data sheet
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LaLush mentioned to store super reactive alkali metals in kerosene, but I think very pure mineral oil could be good storage as well and has the benefit of being inflammable.
The mineral oil/kerosene is used to protect it from oxidation/patina/skin which may be aesthetically displeasing, and moisture in the air which can cause damage. Since air contains oxygen and water, some metals actually can react (very slowly or very quickly) in air.
Keep these oiled pieces in separate sturdy glass jars not significantly larger than the ingot in order to make the jar less fragile in case of falls. I would not recommend storing in metal boxes because in some cases, some reactions can erode your samples and ruin your collection (more specifically, redox reactions involving oxygen/water in the air, where your metal may become the sacrificial electrode to the box. The effects will be small, but of course will become apparent over longer times. May not affect 'noble' metals like gold, silver, etc).
Of course not all pieces need be stored in oil. Depending on how pristine you want to keep these you can invest in some dessicant to keep air moisture down. Table salt works great if you don't have access to a friend in a lab who has Drierite. Cover the dessicant with tissue or something so it is not in contact with your metal, because this too can cause erosion (think salt water on iron creating rust).
If you're interested in metalloids (like Aluminum, Silicon, etc) go check out how they industrially produce mega pure silicon boules for computing purposes. Such fucking amazing engineering and super closely guarded production specifics. LOVE YOUR BLOG btw!!!
FINALLY regarding safety. Aside from the poster Glull having done some research for you, check out the MSDS (material safety data sheet) posted with the material of interest on the huge chemical supplier sites. Try SigmaAldrich, VWR, Fisher . On the front page (may have to go through a 'customer region' gateway but doesn't matter where) you type in your metal, like Iron, and scroll down til you find "iron powder, iron foil, pure iron, etc". Usually once you find your metal, there will be a pdf link to the safety sheet, where you will eventually find health and flammability hazards. Let us know if you need more help and enjoy your AWESOME collection gl hfhfhf
edit: clarified wording in section about table salt touching the metal
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if you wanna be a nerd, you should match the weight of each ingot to the respective metal's molar mass ^^
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Was I the only one who clicked on this thinking of metal music and I wish I had something useful to say about chemistry.
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Dude, you should totally get some Cesium, its an awesome metal, and when you get it, best put it in water right away or else it can get react with nitrogen in the air and corrode.
+ Show Spoiler +WARNING: DO NOT ACTUALLY DO THIS!!!!
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On October 01 2011 09:56 Arthemesia wrote:
Was I the only one who clicked on this thinking of metal music and I wish I had something useful to say about chemistry.
I actually also thought the same but the blog was interesting nonetheless.
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Hong Kong9179 Posts
Man those copper ingots look really cool. Did you get those from eBay too or is there an official place to buy them?
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EPT
