I went camping this weekend, and someone in my party threw a beer can in the fire. This started an intense debate over whether the changes in the can were due to melting or due to burning. Does anyone know whether beer cans burn? It doesn’t seem that a wood fire would get hot enough to ignite a beer can, but stranger things have been reported to happen.
Sure. Anything burns if you get it hot enough. I doubt a campfire would qualify, although I have smelted glass in very coarse form by throwing empty bottles into the fire and then building the fire up.
Interestingly, Aluminum will burn vigorously at a pressure as low as 25psi.
These guys say it burns, too, “may be iginited by heat, sparks and flames”.
Go figure.
Aluminum powder is one of the components of Thermite!
http://genchem.chem.wisc.edu/demonstrations/Gen_Chem_Pages/06thermopage/thermite_reaction.htm
First, aluminum melts at about 1200 degrees fahrenheit. Wood fires can get that hot, but I think it would have to be a big one.
Second, powdered aluminum’s autoignition temperature is about 1400 degrees fahrenheit (at least). Wood fires can do that too, but it’s even harder. For solid aluminum, it may be as high as 3500 degrees – I don’t think wood can do that
Third, aluminum burns intensely; you would have noticed.
Fourth, aluminum beer cans are painted or inked. That stuff burns first.