Plumbata
Posts: 1535
Joined: 12/4/2007
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I am selling for the benefit of this forum 30 grams (a bit over 1 ounce) of explosive Elemental Sodium metal, sealed in a glass 8 ounce mason jar and covered in mineral oil to prevent further oxidation, which occurs almost instantaneously in the presence of air. Underneath the light grey coating it is a bright and shiny silvery metal, and can be cut with a butterknife. I have even ripped chunks off with my bare fingers and molded it into various shapes (not recommended), so it is probably the softest metal you will ever get the opportunity to work with.
This material is not for the faint of heart (or those with sodium restricted diets  ), the paranoid, or the non-adventurous individual. I obtained a good quantity of this stuff years ago, and have hosted some fabulous parties where I taught the people a little about chemistry using this great element. Whether they remembered it or not is questionable; a facet of physiological chemical processes not helped by vast quantities of beer.
If you have ever seen old cartoons wherein "Instant Fire: Just Add Water" is an element of the plot and thought it was no more than tongue-in-cheek humor, I now offer material which can make such a statement a reality for you wherever nonbelievers (who you can hopefully get to place bets beforehand) may be found.
Element # 11, Na or Sodium is an Alkali metal with a density of around .98 grams per cubic centimeter, which means that it floats in water, which is 1 gram per cc. It also melts at a temperature below the boiling point of water. Pretty bizarre for a metal, eh?
It reacts violently in the presence of water, which it breaks apart, stealing the oxygen and one hydrogen to form NaOH, sodium hydroxide, or Lye, a powerful and corrosive base which can be found at the hardware store. The heat generated by the exothermic reaction eventually sets the free hydrogen on fire, and shortly after the Sodium melts the blob of sizzling molten metal will explode with a brilliant flash and loud report, sending multitudes of blazing white bits of burning sodium through the air, leaving a trail of white Na2O and NaOH smoke. This smoke is very very bad to breathe, so keep away.
I recommend either throwing a piece far out into a pond, or dropping it in a metal bucket of water and RUNNING at least 25 feet away, to be safe. The hotter the water, the faster and more violent (and thus visually and auditorially pleasing) the reaction. Once I half filled a 12 ounce soda bottle with 160 degree water, and dropped a 2 gram chunk in it and started running. I slipped, fell ( ) and only barely escaped the blast radius, which sent hot glass flying 20 feet in all directions. A foolish exploit but I am glad to have the story to tell.
This stuff is pretty darn hard to come by, so use it judiciously.
The auction ends at 10:00 PM next Thursday, and will be shipped safely to the winner free of charge after I receive notification that the funds have been sent via paypal to the administrator(s) of this forum.
Bidding starts at a low 9.99 (It usually runs at least 40.00 or more per ounce, if you can find it in the first place)
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30 Grams of Elemental Sodium Metal (Na) for Auction - 
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