• Question: how quick can fire burn through metal

    Asked by dan33 to Rory on 17 Jun 2014.
    • Photo: Rory Hadden

      Rory Hadden answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Thats a good question, Dan.

      Most metals do not burn. Instead they will heat up and melt when exposed to a fire. I you have a very hot flame you can cut through some metals (this is how sheets of metal are sometimes cut). In this process the metal doesn’t burn but it is melted in a thin zone near the flame.

      The time taken will depend on the thickness of the metal. A thicker metal will take longer because there is more of it to heat up. A thin metal will take much less time.

      I hope that helps. Keep the questions coming!

      Rory

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