Can other liquids become steam?

Can liquids which aren't water turn into steam? For example, can magma ever become steam, if exposed to a hot enough temperature? Or what about liquid metal?

Originally posted by vivify
Can liquids which aren't water turn into steam? For example, can magma ever become steam, if exposed to a hot enough temperature? Or what about liquid metal?

Steam is water vapour, so no. But if you heat any substance enough then, in the absence of an oxidising agent it will become a vapour. On this planet there is lots of free oxygen so anything that can be oxidised, like a metal, will tend to burn rather than become a vapour. Things that can't oxidise like carbon dioxide will form a vapour. Magma is a little tricky, I'm not sure what will happen in the absence of oxygen, but it should be noted that in the fairly extreme temperatures needed to vaporise it it could undergo chemical changes, so you might not get "magma vapour".

Originally posted by DeepThought
Steam is water vapour, so no. But if you heat any substance enough then, in the absence of an oxidising agent it will become a vapour. On this planet there is lots of free oxygen so anything that can be oxidised, like a metal, will tend to burn rather than become a vapour. Things that can't oxidise like carbon dioxide will form a vapour. Magma is a l ...[text shortened]... es needed to vaporise it it could undergo chemical changes, so you might not get "magma vapour".

Look at the moon, airless body no O2 to speak of and there is plenty of magma lakes from billions of years ago and that stuff didn't vaporize. Would have been a sight to behold though, millions of tons of liquid magma coating the surface......

Originally posted by vivify
Can liquids which aren't water turn into steam? For example, can magma ever become steam, if exposed to a hot enough temperature? Or what about liquid metal?

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapor

Originally posted by DeepThought
Steam is water vapour, so no.

Actually what is commonly refereed to as steam is re-condensed water droplets. ie the visible mist that can be seen above boiling water.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Look at the moon, airless body no O2 to speak of and there is plenty of magma lakes from billions of years ago and that stuff didn't vaporize. Would have been a sight to behold though, millions of tons of liquid magma coating the surface......

Magma is typically not hot enough for all (or even most) of it to vaporise. Magma is a complex mix of chemicals and some of it does vaporise and / or oxidise (burn). That is what causes volcanic eruptions.

Originally posted by DeepThought
Steam is water vapour, so no.

Yes. I meant a gaseous state like vapor.

Originally posted by vivify
Yes. I meant a gaseous state like vapor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-vapor_lamp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-vapor_lamp