From: REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: metal  - unknown type in a casting
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 01:56:59 GMT

On Fri, 01 Jan 1999 19:26:35 -1000, Derrick Salmon
<dsal@cfht.hawaii.edu> wrote:

>I have a small ornamental casting which appears to be solid aluminum -
>highly polished, but not brilliant and definitely not plated.  It's a
>stylized seal (animal) and weighs about 1/2 lb.  In order to confirm the
>metal type I weighed it (243.0 gm) and took its volume (110 cm^3 +/- 5
>cm^3) and find a density of 2.2 gm/cc which I believe is too low for
>aluminum which has a specific gravity of 2.8.
>
>Any ideas of what the metal might be ?

90Al-10Mg is 2.5

70Al-30Mg is 2.0

The latter is called Magnalium. You are right in between these but
perhaps someone else has a better fit so how good is your density
measurement?

If you are really curious Magnalium melts at 435 C.