Ferro Rod Damaged Firesteel - What Happened Here?

Do you know what happened here?

We did some of our own tests to try and find the answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5NYiHxrPY

The best answer will be featured in the video description as a caution for all future viewers. Thank you to all our subscribers, friends and viewers for your help.

Music by: Kevin MacLeod
Song: Scheming Weasel (faster version)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Ferro
• Rod
• Damage
• Firesteel
• Fire
• Econo Challenge
• Camping
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Nature
• Backpacking
• Camp
• Craft
• Wilderness
• Spark
• Flame
• Camp Fire
• Mystery
• Econo
• Challenge
• Help
• outdoors
• wilderness
• instruction

[demnlordd666]

1)not tin pest b/c its not just taking a diff crystal structure, powder doesn't burn its oxidation like w/ old BIC lighter. 2) the electrolysis idea could be striker steel and rod with water. but that would be obviously red staining. 3) my guess, a surface defect catalyzed reaction. normally there is a fine oxide layer that prevents fast rusting, but another substance can make a mid point for oxygen to grab first then enter metal surface, maybe past fire residue, sweat, zinc from sunscreen?

[EconoChallenge]

@demnlordd666 Zinc from sunscreen. This is the first suggestion that sunscreen might play a part and worth looking into. I am always wearing sunscreen but perhaps I used a different brand with slightly different ingredients. Could be possible. We are trying new stuff all the time.

[isaacoscar1]

hahahhahahahah who gives a fuck, they are $2.50 off ebay

[EconoChallenge]

@isaacoscar1 True. But last time I was out in the bush ... I did not have an internet connection, credit card or a postal address for shipping.

[DugbaLaser]

I've found many a long lost Bic lighter with nothing but white powder left for flint.

Related to "tin pest?"

Rust? Loosely speaking, rust (oxidation) requires current flow, typically a natural battery between dissimilar metals and usually an electrolyte (like impure water). Either the dissimilar metals were within the rod, or it was contacting another metal.

Good pics of similar at bladeforums; google: "wierd round-bottom crater-shaped corrosion" "ferro-rod and the pitting" G'luck!

[EconoChallenge]

@DugbaLaser I googled and checked out the pictures. The damage is very similar in that it only pitted certain areas of the rod. Unfortunately the rod was cleaned up. It was my first reaction when I found the damage. After I wished I had taken a pic or two first. Salt water we know is bad and my rod gets exposed to it through sweat all the time. Perhaps one of those times it performed the roll of electrolyte as part of some kind of chemical reaction in my fanny pack. Test?

[demnlordd666]

@demnlordd666 residue from a fire has all kinds of minerals in it, many could possibly attach to be a bridge for the oxygen. but main point is that's most likely HOW, but as to the WHY, beats me.  end result is definitely an oxide, so oxygen did it one way or another, but somewhere something else helped

[EconoChallenge]

@Greegor47 It does seem (of late) that we are circling this idea that we are simply dealing with a manufacture defect. Drahcirl in the comment below suggested a similar idea where some of the powder was not completely cured (or compressed) and simply turned back into dust and fell out. Perhaps aided by the corrosive effects of salt water.

[Greegor47]

Fire starter rods are commonly of TWO types involving TWO

different formulations of mixed metals. One incredient in the

mix is Magnesium which corrodes very rapidly with exposure

to salt water. I think the pits are from where globs of

magnesium used to be.

[EconoChallenge]

@drahcirl If you can find the pics and send them, we would be happy to compare the damage and .... hopefully ... conclude this mystery.