Aluminum Toxic?

[pikachu]

Hello,

 

I have heard that Aluminum is a toxic metal. Does anyone here know if Aluminum made pen is safe to be used?

 

Best Regards

Edited July 21, 2009 by pikachu

[publius]

There is, in fact, such a thing as aluminum toxicity, although it is less toxic than, say, the chromium in stainless steel. In any case, unless you intend to dissolve the pen in hot sulphuric acid or caustic soda & drink the resultant fluid, or hold it in a high-temperature flame & inhale the resultant vapours, it is perfectly safe.

[someonesdad]

Most metals are toxic and anything in sufficient quantities can be toxic. Bare aluminum forms a tough oxide layer (quite thin though), so if you touch the metal, you're mostly touching the aluminum oxide. I've been eating food cooked in aluminum pans for many decades and I'm not dead yet, so it's not toxic within reason. Personally I wouldn't worry about using an aluminum pen. But if it does bother you, send it out to be hard anodized and you'll have a thicker (still pretty thin) oxide layer to buffer you.

[alvarez57]

...unless you intend to dissolve the pen in hot sulphuric acid or caustic soda & drink the resultant fluid, or hold it in a high-temperature flame & inhale the resultant vapours, it is perfectly safe.

 

I know you're serious on your statement, but I love it!

 

[pikachu]

...unless you intend to dissolve the pen in hot sulphuric acid or caustic soda & drink the resultant fluid, or hold it in a high-temperature flame & inhale the resultant vapours, it is perfectly safe.

 

I know you're serious on your statement, but I love it!

 

 

Thank You for the sharing from all of you!

 

I really appreciate.

 

Actually, I like to buy this pen, but get concern when I learn that it is made by aluminum.

 

 

Best Regards

 

[pikachu]

Most metals are toxic and anything in sufficient quantities can be toxic. Bare aluminum forms a tough oxide layer (quite thin though), so if you touch the metal, you're mostly touching the aluminum oxide. I've been eating food cooked in aluminum pans for many decades and I'm not dead yet, so it's not toxic within reason. Personally I wouldn't worry about using an aluminum pen. But if it does bother you, send it out to be hard anodized and you'll have a thicker (still pretty thin) oxide layer to buffer you.

 

 

Thanks for yoursharing!

 

These days I dont know what to believe. It is good to hear you.

 

I just wonder, what is the benifit to made pen with Aluminum, why not other metal.

 

 

Best Regards

 

[publius]

I just wonder, what is the benifit to made pen with Aluminum, why not other metal.

Hang around here for a while, & you'll find out that pens are made from pretty much anything — buffalo horn, for example, sterling silver, highly flammable celluloid…

Aluminum is lightweight, easily worked & highly malleable, & inexpensive, & accepts a variety of surface finishes, including all manner of colours through anodizing with dyes.

Seriously, there's nothing to worry about in terms of toxicity. Nickel, a constituent of stainless steels, & brass, commonly used in metal pens, can cause skin rashes due to sweat corrosion, but this is (to my knowledge) unheard-of with aluminum.

 

I know you're serious on your statement, but I love it!

I aim to please. Edited July 21, 2009 by publius

[Tsujigiri]

No, it's not toxic. It is, however, a bad material to make pens out of. Aluminum is reactive with inks, so there are some issues with corrosion. If the aluminum on the pen is away from the ink and not in internal parts, however, the problem shouldn't be as bad. Which pen were you thinking of?

[pikachu]

No, it's not toxic. It is, however, a bad material to make pens out of. Aluminum is reactive with inks, so there are some issues with corrosion. If the aluminum on the pen is away from the ink and not in internal parts, however, the problem shouldn't be as bad. Which pen were you thinking of?

 

 

I am thinking the Porsche Design Collection or the Fatboy.

[Tsujigiri]

No, it's not toxic. It is, however, a bad material to make pens out of. Aluminum is reactive with inks, so there are some issues with corrosion. If the aluminum on the pen is away from the ink and not in internal parts, however, the problem shouldn't be as bad. Which pen were you thinking of?

 

 

I am thinking the Porsche Design Collection or the Fatboy.

 

The Fatboy does look a little worrysome, not even having any anodizing on the metal to protect it. I know these companies make the pens out of aluminum to emulate cars and airplanes, which use the metal for its high strength to weight ratio, but it really is a bad material for pens. Which Porsche model did you have in mind?

[pikachu]

No, it's not toxic. It is, however, a bad material to make pens out of. Aluminum is reactive with inks, so there are some issues with corrosion. If the aluminum on the pen is away from the ink and not in internal parts, however, the problem shouldn't be as bad. Which pen were you thinking of?

 

 

I am thinking the Porsche Design Collection or the Fatboy.

 

The Fatboy does look a little worrysome, not even having any anodizing on the metal to protect it. I know these companies make the pens out of aluminum to emulate cars and airplanes, which use the metal for its high strength to weight ratio, but it really is a bad material for pens. Which Porsche model did you have in mind?

 

 

Thanks for the sharing.

 

This is what I am looking at.

http://www.gearys.com/gearyssf/p-151612-po...acite-pens.aspx

 

Best Regards

[Tsujigiri]

Oh, if it's a pencil or ballpoint and not a fountain pen, don't worry about it.

[Chris]

I was trying to think of a non-toxic metal....

Still thinking....

Nope - nothing yet....

Iron, gold - both toxic

Silver - not very toxic (apart from argyria)

Copper, zinc, cadmium, magnesium, manganese - all toxic

Arsenic, beryllium, thallium, sodium, potasium - um... toxic too, eventually.

 

Ah yes, I remember: "Dosis facit venenum" - which roughly translated means a little of what you fancy does you good but you can have too much of a good thing.

 

Or, in terms of practical advice - no worries.

 

Chris

 

[zquilts]

Loved the Latin quote ! It's been quite awhile since I've seen written Latin!

 

 

I was trying to think of a non-toxic metal....

Still thinking....

Nope - nothing yet....

Iron, gold - both toxic

Silver - not very toxic (apart from argyria)

Copper, zinc, cadmium, magnesium, manganese - all toxic

Arsenic, beryllium, thallium, sodium, potasium - um... toxic too, eventually.

 

Ah yes, I remember: "Dosis facit venenum" - which roughly translated means a little of what you fancy does you good but you can have too much of a good thing.

 

Or, in terms of practical advice - no worries.

 

Chris

 

[lapis]

Just to enlarge a bit: Aluminum is not toxic. It forms very easily on contact with air a very thin but very inert oxide. This process is known as passivity, and that "protects" the metal. Any liquids other than concentrated strong acids or even caustic soda like sodium or potassium hydroxides are basically unable to dissolve alumininum. Dry (undissolved) hydroxides as such are unable to etch and eat up aluminum. If you want a really toxic "metal" then get some thallium. Most people can't buy that anyhow, buth they can buy salts thereof, like acetates, which are very water soluble and used as rat poisons. To sum up, aluminium when pure, native is basically resistent, at least against inks.

 

Mike

[dogpoet]

Isn't most kitchenware aluminum? If cooking in an aluminum saucepan doesn't poison you, I wouldn't have thought holding a pen is going to cause problems.

[Tsujigiri]

Isn't most kitchenware aluminum? If cooking in an aluminum saucepan doesn't poison you, I wouldn't have thought holding a pen is going to cause problems.

 

Most kitchenware is also treated with acids and electricity to artificially thicken the aluminum oxide layer on the surface. This anodization process makes the kitchenware strong and gives it the darker color. Aluminum oxide is very strong; it's one of the chemicals that many hard gemstones are made of. I don't think I've seen any pens with hard core anodization, just flimsy colored ones. And yes, even though aluminum naturally forms a layer of aluminum oxide, that won't be enough to resist some of the more acidic inks out there. See this experiment done by Noodler's: http://www.noodlersink.com/ph.html

Some Parker 51's had aluminum internal parts, and the result was disastrous.

 

So the issue with aluminum is its resistance to fountain pen inks. There aren't any problems with toxicidy.

[dogpoet]

Thanks.

[Pensee]

Isn't most kitchenware aluminum? If cooking in an aluminum saucepan doesn't poison you, I wouldn't have thought holding a pen is going to cause problems.

 

Wasn't there was some concern about Aluminum cookery & Alzheimer’s? Believe that one was debunked or you'd have to ingest ridiculous amounts of it over a long period of time.

 

Reminds me of old George Carlin joke: "Scientists have discovered that swallowing your own spit may lead to stomach cancer..."

 

"...But only if swallowed in small amounts over a very long period of time!"

 

<slight digression>

 

From my electrician days: aluminum for wiring-- very bad idea. Didn't anyone do their homework in the '70's? Al (wiring) + Cu (on device outlet) = oxidation & major headache for poor home owner.

 

<back on topic>

 

Is it just my imagination, or are more & more manufacturers going with metal gripping sections?

 

Personally, I don't like the feel of metal but maybe I'm in the minority.

 

Question then: user demand for metal sections, or metal simply more cost effective for mass production?

 

Just curious if anyone else has noticed the trend.

 

thx

 

--Bruce

[Glenn-SC]

Some Parker 51's had aluminum internal parts, and the result was disastrous.

Really?

I am not aware of the disastrous aluminum parts in the "51", silver yes, aluminum no.

 

EDITED to add the "NOT" above.

Sorry, I typed too fast and didn't proof read.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Glenn-SC