Do aluminum cans melt in typical campfires? I know the melting point is about 660 Celsius but do campfires get that high? I thought it would just be that the can becomes disfigured and collapses due to the heat, not due to it melting. Even if it did melt in the fire how would you find the remains? The can in a liquid form would certainly not be confined to one part of the fire and therefore wouldn't solidify in a small pool to see if it had melted or not. Any ideas?
The complicating factor is that aluminium oxidizes as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen in the air. Every aluminum can thus has a sort of coating of aluminium oxide. The aluminum oxide will likely not melt the same way you'd expect aluminium metal.
Typical campfires do not get that hot. The can can become disfigured but it wont completely melt.
Aluminium is very easily oxidized (in its solid form, a thin layer of very though aluminium oxide protects the metal). Put it in a fire, and that oxide will be removed, and 100% of the metal will oxidize, leaving nothing but aluminium oxide white powder behind.
A campfire does not get hot enough to melt Aluminum.
Campfires would not get that hot. However, even if they were hot enought, the aluminum in the can would not melt. It would oxidize before it had a chance to and turn into a white powder that migles among the ashes.
