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submitted 1 week ago by stenAanden@feddit.dk to c/til@lemmy.world
  1. Why does NIST state that a yellow stream of molten metal seen in some photographs pouring down the side of WTC2 was aluminum from the crashed plane, even though aluminum burns with a white glow?

NIST concluded that the source of the molten material was aluminum alloys from the aircraft, since these are known to melt between 475 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit) and 640 degrees Celsius (1,200 degrees Fahrenheit)—depending on the particular alloy—well below the expected temperatures (about 1,000 degrees Celsius or 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) in the vicinity of the fires. Aluminum is not expected to ignite at normal fire temperatures and there is no visual indication that the material flowing from the tower was burning.

  1. Why didn't the NIST investigation consider reports of molten steel in the wreckage from the WTC towers?

The condition of the steel in the wreckage of the WTC towers (i.e., whether it was in a molten state or not) was irrelevant to the investigation of the collapse since it does not provide any conclusive information on the condition of the steel when the WTC towers were standing.

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[-] gastroglizzy@piefed.social 4 points 1 week ago

It's not the coal that makes it that hot. Anybody can ignite a normal coal fire in their grill and it won't get hot enough to forge. The critical component of a blacksmith's forge is the ability to force additional air, and thus, oxygen, into the fire.

[-] Naich@piefed.world 6 points 1 week ago

Exactly. It's not just the fuel, it's the conditions it burns in.

this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2026
-39 points (18.0% liked)

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