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United States24745 Posts
edit: pictures below
For the past month or two I've been putting together a collection of pure metals. One day after watching Breaking Bad I brought up a periodic table in my browser and started counting all the elements I knew that were available in bullion. I hopped on ebay and have started acquiring them.
So far I have:
- 1 ounce silver ingot (31 g)
- 1 ounce aluminum ingot (33.5 g)
- 1 ounce titanium ingot (31 g)
- 1 ounce nickel ingot (35 g)
- 1 ounce lead ingot (33 g)
- 1 ounce zinc ingot (37.5 g)
- 1 ounce tin ingot (32 g)
- 1 ounce copper ingot (33 g)
- 1 gram iron ingot [hard to get iron ingots lol]
- 1 avdp ounce copper ingot (avdp, 28 g) [oops avdp lol]
The obvious ones to add are gold, platinum, palladium, and rhodium but I really don't want to spend that kind of money right now... the silver ingot alone was close to 50 bucks :p
I was considering getting other metals but have run into a bit of a problem: I don't know how safe they are. My chemistry knowledge is a bit lacking and I don't really trust it. For starters, I'm going to avoid any alkali elements because I know they react violently with even small amounts of water. Other elements I'm not too sure about though.
For example, I just found this auction on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnesium-Metal-Ingot-99-9-Pure-Free-Shipping-5lb-/300579778261?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fbf36ed5#ht_500wt_922
They are selling magnesium which is an alkaline earth and fairly abundant on the Earth's crust. I know this stuff is pretty nasty when it catches fire... not to mention putting it out is pretty tough since it turns water into hydrogen gas. Is it too dangerous to buy though? I'd be storing it in a metal box which should help a bit...
What about these metals available from the same seller? I'm looking into it but don't want to make a mistake and blow up the house or something lol (I'm assuming the easier it is to get something the safer it is but I don't want to find out the hard way I was wrong):
gallium, strontium, rubidium, calcium metal, indium metal (left out lithium, potassium, sodium, cesium lol)
If anyone has any suggestions please let me know... I think it's cool to have a sample of each type of metal (each ingot I have is >99.9% pure).
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You should look into Sodium, it reacts very violently with water. You can also cut it with a kitchen knife ^^
This sounds rather interesting, though. Pictures?
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United States24745 Posts
Picture:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/GXoc3.png)
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Hmmm, I'm not sure if my Chemistry knowledge is enough to help you out either.
I think that it could be safe to buy alkali metals, so long as they are properly stored and handled. If I remember right, most of them oxidize on contact with air, forming a non-reactive barrier oxidized metal on the surface. Don't take my word on it, though, it's just what I remember from High School.
Also, I know some metals are toxic in certain forms, so you might want to check that out, if you are actually planning on attaining near-every metal. :p
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_metal
EDIT:
Oh, that's cool. :p
From the OP, I got the impression you were just buying lump metal, haha.
You could probably check out science stores and suppliers for some of the rarer or more volatile ones, though. For example, it's possible to buy small amounts of radioactive metals, if I remember correctly.
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... I thought this was about Metal, the music genre.
SILVER INGOT FUCK YEAH! /headbang
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Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic).
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What's the tiny ingot? I thought it was lead until I read the names on the other ingots.
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United States24745 Posts
On September 30 2011 23:35 Shockk wrote:
Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic).
I agree. The problem is, I don't know which ones are the classic ones which are safe and easy to handle.
On September 30 2011 23:37 GigaFlop wrote:
What's the tiny ingot? I thought it was lead until I read the names on the other ingots.
It's hard to get 1 ounce iron ingots lol... plus I wanted to have one that was 1 gram for variety.
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On September 30 2011 23:37 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On September 30 2011 23:35 Shockk wrote:
Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic). I agree. The problem is, I don't know which ones are the classic ones which are safe and easy to handle. Show nested quote +On September 30 2011 23:37 GigaFlop wrote:
What's the tiny ingot? I thought it was lead until I read the names on the other ingots. It's hard to get 1 ounce iron ingots lol... plus I wanted to have one that was 1 gram for variety.
Why not get a bunch of 1g iron ingots and tape them together to form a (roughly) 1oz ingot?
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United States24745 Posts
On September 30 2011 23:47 GigaFlop wrote:Show nested quote +On September 30 2011 23:37 micronesia wrote:On September 30 2011 23:35 Shockk wrote:
Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic). I agree. The problem is, I don't know which ones are the classic ones which are safe and easy to handle. On September 30 2011 23:37 GigaFlop wrote:
What's the tiny ingot? I thought it was lead until I read the names on the other ingots. It's hard to get 1 ounce iron ingots lol... plus I wanted to have one that was 1 gram for variety. Why not get a bunch of 1g iron ingots and tape them together to form a (roughly) 1oz ingot?
lol
That would be cost inefficient and not really necessary :p
Maybe if I feel like my collection of 1 ounce ingots is nearing completion I'll be motivated to search more for a 1 ounce sample of iron.
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I think it would be best to just look at them by elemental group? Most metals in the same elemental group share most of their properties, I believe.
Then just research them, one by one, to determine if reactivity increases too much as you move down the list, and if any of the metals are toxic/radioactive.
EDIT: Maybe ask a chem teacher where you work? :p
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On September 30 2011 23:49 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On September 30 2011 23:47 GigaFlop wrote:On September 30 2011 23:37 micronesia wrote:On September 30 2011 23:35 Shockk wrote:
Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic). I agree. The problem is, I don't know which ones are the classic ones which are safe and easy to handle. On September 30 2011 23:37 GigaFlop wrote:
What's the tiny ingot? I thought it was lead until I read the names on the other ingots. It's hard to get 1 ounce iron ingots lol... plus I wanted to have one that was 1 gram for variety. Why not get a bunch of 1g iron ingots and tape them together to form a (roughly) 1oz ingot? lol That would be cost inefficient and not really necessary :p Maybe if I feel like my collection of 1 ounce ingots is nearing completion I'll be motivated to search more for a 1 ounce sample of iron.
You need to get a hold of 3 iron and 2 sticks before you can acquire anything like Diamond or Gold, you're doing it wrong...
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Magnesium needs pretty hot temperatures to ignite (a flame will do it eventually though), but once it ignites you aren't going to put it out.
Some also oxidize in air-- I'm not sure how they're stored since I've actually never even seen ingots, but its probably something you'll want to figure out.
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On September 30 2011 23:37 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On September 30 2011 23:35 Shockk wrote:
Try large suppliers for research / teaching needs. They usually have tons of materials in stock, everything from ingots to dust.
If you have little to no experience with handling chemicals, I'd suggest sticking to the "classic" metals. Some metalloids or other metals can be a pain to handle and store or might be expensive / impossible to get (or even toxic). I agree. The problem is, I don't know which ones are the classic ones which are safe and easy to handle.
The "regular" metals would be transition metals - scandium to zinc, yttrium to cadmium and hafnium to mercury. This group includes all the common metals like titanium, chromium, iron, silver, gold etc. Alumimium, tin or lead are post-transition metals and shouldn't be too much trouble either. Metalloids could be tricky; you'll certainly not want to have some polonium or arsenic, but antimony or silicon shouldn't be a problem.
In this image, the transition metals are red, post-transition are blue and metalloids are light blue. Disregard the last three lines of the periodic table as lanthanides and actinides aren't what you're looking for and everything post polonium is radioactive.
![[image loading]](http://i.infopls.com/images/periodictableWEB_ext.gif)
From the three groups already mentioned, you'll probably not get everything due to prices and availability and don't want to get others due to danger. Polonium as already mentioned is radioactive, arsenic and thallium are toxic, mercury will be a bitch to store properly (and is toxic as well).
Just work your way through the periodic table, check for prices and dangers. I'd say stock up on conventional and non-difficult metals first. Chromium, cobalt, tungsten, lead, antimony or zirconium shouldn't be that hard to add to your collection (just some examples).
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Oh wow I feel like a noob.
I'm graduated with a degree in geoscience so I know all about metals. I collect plenty of rocks and metals myself. I actually have an ingot but never knew it was an ingot. I really like your collection. It is very raw, unique and has a lot of story behind it.
What were ingots used for and when? I'm curious =D
Edit: Of course I could google it but I'd like to hear from the OP. Also, I'm on a work computer and many sites do not work with this browser.
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At school I remember they stored alkali metals in kerosene. But any sort of sealed container should do for the sort of amounts that I imagine you'd be buying.
They don't react as violently as you'd think. Unless you plan on buying pounds of the stuff and throwing it into a bathtub you shouldn't be worried about explosions until you reach down the list to cesium. There was an episode of mythbusters where they examined whether large amounts of alkali metals such as potassium, lithium and sodium could be used as explosives. While they certainly react in a cool way, they're not very efficient as explosives.
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It is magnesium that creates the super white light
But also OP the amount your getting is hardly dangerous as long as you take proper precautions and dont leave your reactive metals hanging around you should be fine. Theres no metal that reacts with air  so just keep everything dry and safe maybe like a clear box.
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Just dropped by to say that looks awesome as hell, know nothing about metals though.
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gallium --> very low melting point - not "easy" to handle. not toxic.
calcium --> not toxic, surface oxidizes in air.
strontium --> see calcium
indium --> not toxic (rather expensive but safe to collect)
rubidium --> worse than potassium. stay away. (also very expensive.)
magnesium --> not toxic, surface oxodizes in air ("passivation"). cheap and easy to get and collect. does not "turn water into hydrogen gas". (buy a metal pencil sharpener and you have your ingot  )
i might write more later on this, because i share the sentiment that pure element samples are intriguing and beautiful. i prefer crystalline or natural samples over ingots though.
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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 Kong9164 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
