Re: Mining the Sky

In message <yKWdnfHUMbJ43CHVnZ2dnUVZ_qPinZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Jack Tingle <wjtingle@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes
Bernard Peek wrote:
In message <cbcbcafc-2ec3-473d-a1d4-e32ec4fac3dc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, CharlesRCaplan@xxxxxxxxx writes

To me It seems like a bad idea to make colonies and space ships out

a metal that tends to ignite. One mistake with a welding torch and bye-
bye colony. Maybe it's not so bad if it is sequestered into an alloy?
It's quite flammable in the presence of oxygen or even nitrogen. But large parts of the structure of a space-ship will be in vacuum. So magnesium and lithium and even sodium become usable construction materials. For some reason nobody has done much research on the mechanical properties of sodium alloys.

Because, unlike Mg, Li and Na react strongly and spontaneously with moisture and virtually any other chemical containing oxygen. Mg is no problem at moderate temperatures and atmospheric pressure. Li and Na could only be used in a vacuum, or in a reducing gas or liquid environment, ethane, for example.

Pure magnesium reacts with oxygen at room temperature, although not very fast. Magnesium alloys can be passivated, like aluminium. Other alloys of reactive metals should be possible. I know that lithium/magnesium alloys can be used in air and have very good strength/weight ratios. If we start mining the asteroids we will want to use all of the elements in them. So there will certainly be an incentive to find something useful to do with the sodium. Large parts of a space structure are going to be external, where reactivity isn't going to be an issue. So is it possible to get reasonably usable alloys with sodium and other metals?



--
Bernard Peek
London, UK. DBA, Manager, Trainer & Author.

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