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To: Willie Green
sodium; itself an exceptionally rare and expensive metal.

Only in its pure metallic form is sodium rare. It is, otherwise, a plentiful element. 50 quadrillion tons of salt in the oceans represents most of the planet's supply.

Sodium is so chemically active that it cannot exist, for long, as a free element unless it is kept from exposure to air, water, etc. Because it is a much more active element than aluminum, it can replace it in aluminum compounds and thus free the metal.

2 posted on 10/17/2009 9:34:41 AM PDT by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
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To: capt. norm
Sodium is so chemically active that it cannot exist, for long, as a free element unless it is kept from exposure to air, water, etc.

Chlorine is a pretty nasty element in it's pure form as well.
We are actually pretty lucky to have enough sodium on this planet to keep all that chlorine out of the atmosphere.

5 posted on 10/17/2009 10:12:32 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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