Magnesium ribbon or powder is a much better starter, IMHO. Not all alluminum foil is covered in plastic, but that is aside from the point. No, it will not work. The wrong iron oxide (there are a lot more than just rust) will also not work, but this is due to chemical reasons.

Magnesium ribbon or powder is a much better starter, IMHO. Not all alluminum foil is covered in plastic, but that is aside from the point. No, it will not work. The wrong iron oxide (there are a lot more than just rust) will also not work, but this is due to chemical reasons.

 

Exactly, like I said we are probably not allowed to post how you do / make this stuff here but I can say if you want to make rust (AKA [ce]Fe_2O_3[/ce], AKA Iron(III) Oxide) fast all you need to do is stick Iron Wool in Hydrogen Peroxide, that'll do the job and fast too

 

A quick search for thermite on Google wil turn up some interesting results but don't try this unless you are shure what you are doing and are shure you have very pure chemicals! Otherwise you could be looking at some moltern iron burns or worse...

 

Its a brilliant thing to watch (And do) but only if you are shure of your safety and everyone elses safety too

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

I actually just read that you can do it with any kind of iron oxide, depending on the ratio of materials. Here it was done with magnetite ("black rust").

i think the water reacts with the molten iron to produce iron oxide and hydrogen. The hydrogen is the gas that causes the explosion, and because the iron is molten the reaction is extremely fast

 

I can't say I completely agree with you.

 

Iron itself is one of the weaker reducing agents and because of this it would seem likely that the intense heat of a thermite reaction is the only thing would allow it to react faster with water. I do believe, however, that the majority of the explosion is caused by the instant phase change of water from liquid to gas and not by H_2 reacting with O_2.

I can't say I completely agree with you.

 

Iron itself is one of the weaker reducing agents and because of this it would seem likely that the intense heat of a thermite reaction is the only thing would allow it to react faster with water. I do believe' date=' however, that the majority of the explosion is caused by the instant phase change of water from liquid to gas and not by H_2 reacting with O_2.[/quote']

 

Actually wth that kind of heat its probably possible just baout anyhting can form due to the energies of the atoms

 

I'm not exactly shure what are formed but I know once thing, it will make a BANG!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

This whole thermite thing gives me the feeling of someone trying to push something with high inertia but once that thing starts moving its unstoppable !

Also, it can be done with other reactants right ? My teacher told me the larger the difference in reactivity the more violent it is. Has anyone done it using different reactants ? What was it like ?

This whole thermite thing gives me the feeling of someone trying to push something with high inertia but once that thing starts moving its unstoppable !

Also' date=' it can be done with other reactants right ? My teacher told me the larger the difference in reactivity the more violent it is. Has anyone done it using different reactants ? What was it like ?[/quote']

 

Yes indeed it can be done with other reactants and the results cna be quite spectacular too! A simple Google search will bring up many different types of thermite reaction though the Iron(III) oxide and Aluminium is the most commonly seen

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

copper oxide and aluminium is dam fast. but calcium sulphate and aluminium burns extremely hot and is castable.

there`s a whole Plethora of exotic thermits out there, some quite lethal in mg amounts at close range too, but this is getting OFF TOPIC, a topic which seems to be more or less exhausted now anyway.

 

So.... anyone want to wrap it up with anymore good points and then we can close it?

there`s a whole Plethora of exotic thermits out there' date=' some quite lethal in mg amounts at close range too, but this is getting OFF TOPIC, a topic which seems to be more or less exhausted now anyway.

 

So.... anyone want to wrap it up with anymore good points and then we can close it?[/quote']

OK, one last remark. Thermite can be made from any aluminium, including Al-foil (at least if it is not laminated with plastic), but the metal must be ground to very fine particles. The iron oxide (are whatever metal oxide used) also must consist of very fine particles. Fineness is more important than purity. Well, YT, that said, I would suggest to close this thread.

Excellent, one nice and neat little file about thermit! thanks all

 

thread closed now.