Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes

Re:Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes by astine on Wednesday March 18, 2009 @12:33AM (#521201)

From what I know, it's possible, but it's not the kind of thing that I would assume a priori. I'd actually go and check to see if it worked.

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Re:Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes by Rod on Wednesday March 18, 2009 @12:41AM (#521209)

I honestly do hope that paint is mercury-resistant. Otherwise, any terrorist-wannabe with a paintball gun and balls filled with mercury instead of ink would be able to cause a LOT of damage.

In the article they mention that it would be dangerous to bring mercury to the aircraft's cabin. Well, I have never seen an aircraft cabin where the aluminium fuselage was exposed. Thus, I thought that mercury would corrode all the way to the fuselage. From that to inferring that it would corrode paint as well would not be unreasonable, right?

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Re:Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes by astine on Wednesday March 18, 2009 @01:05AM (#521226)

Otherwise, any terrorist-wannabe with a paintball gun and balls filled with mercury instead of ink would be able to cause a LOT of damage.

I think that it would be easier and cheaper to simply fire actual guns at the plane. A hit on a wing will bring down the plane quicker than mercury and hits will be easier.

From that to inferring that it would corrode paint as well would not be unreasonable, right?

It wouldn't, but I think that the article exaggerated the danger a bit. I don't think that the mercury from a single broken thermometer would eat through the floor and reach the fuselage. At least, I've never heard of it happening.

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Re:Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes by Rod on Wednesday March 18, 2009 @01:11AM (#521234)

You are totally right and I am a fool for having allowed super exaggerated articles like this one to fire that region in my brain dedicated solely to imagining cheesy James Bond-like movie scripts ;-)

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Re:Why mercury is forbidden aboard airplanes by dmoney on Wednesday March 18, 2009 @08:24AM (#521539)

The fuselage isn't exposed from the cabin, but what about the cargo compartment? If enough mercury paste leaked out of your suitcase, the plane could be in trouble. I'm thinking if you had enough mercury to damage the plane it would show up on the X-Ray though.

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