Are any dangerous fumes given off if galvanised metal gets hot?

Question

By "hot" I don't mean furnace temperatures, I mean just a wood fire...

Answer 1

Yes. You can get "galvanic poisoning". A wood fire is capable of reaching high enough temps to cause this. Many people used to do "garbage can" dinners over an open fire and got very sick. Welders who work on galvanized metal use ventilation to prevent breathing the fumes. Drinking milk helps, but is not a total cure.

Answer 2

Zinc galvanising requires the metal (zinc) to be made liquid at a temperature of 450 degrees centigrade.  I can't see how you would achieve such a temperature with a wood fire.  Zinc galvanising pots are electric and they do have fume extractors.  Are the fumes dangerous?  I would think yes, though I have no idea what zinc (vapour) in the lungs would do.

Answer 3

Welders,if welding galvanised steel,had to be supplied with milk to drink - something to do with reducing stomach acid,due to ingesting the fumes from the Zinc. Don`t know if it still applies and the temps. in your case may not be high enough to create fumes.  Have a pint handy anyway!