Originally Posted By: mechtech2
When I was a kid, I had a friend who's father drove a truck for a living. He recalled an incident where a truck loaded with magnesium got into an accident and skidded, thereby igniting the magnesium by friction. They couldn'nt put out the fire.
When I was an "old kid" (high school student, in the 1970s), I lost an acquaintance who drove a VW Rabbit into a tree, high-speed, on a curvy, back-woods New Hampshire country road.
For whatever reason, the Rabbit of that vintage had a magnesium steering column. As a result of the subject crash, the steering column ignited. At that time, said acquaintance was either dead or unconscious and slumped over the wheel -- at least I hope he was.
The ensuing fire was so intense that all that remained was a very, very well incinerated skeleton. The normally tough and durable connective tissue had so extensively burned away that the skull detached, and rolled its way to the floorboard. Ewwwwww.
Yes, I later had to view the law enforcement photos. Thankfully, sort of, they were old-fashioned B&W, though given the condition of the remains, that was pretty much irrelevant. I'm sure that today's high-quality digitals would have revealed this brutal roasting (ummmm, make that, "quasi-cremation") in even better detail.
I'm sorry, it may be totally irrational, but I will forever carry a bias against the presence of magnesium, in any form, in my automobile.
As a now-30-year retired Marine, I will always appreciate the ability of magnesium (in properly handled flares) to illuminate my enemy. But, I'm sorry, I will NEVER, EVER, EVER be comfortable with any form of Mg appearing in any of my cars.
