How Do You Make Thermite?
Thermite is a mixture of aluminum and iron oxide that requires considerable heat to ignite, but once ignited burns at temperatures of more than 4,000 degrees. Thought to have been a factor in the Hindenburg explosion and the World Trade Center collapse, thermite is used in both incendiary and explosive applications. Mixing the Thermite Step 1 Obtain aluminum powder from a machine shop or a paint store, by grinding up aluminum soda cans or by breaking open an Etch-a-Sketch. Step 2 Get iron oxide powder from a paint store or by scraping the rust off a rusty piece of metal. You also can make iron oxide by placing a piece of steel wool in water with 5 tablespoons each of bleach and vinegar or through electrolysis. Step 3 Mix 3 parts by weight of the aluminum powder with 8 parts by weight of the powdered iron oxide. (By volume, the proportions are more like 50-50.) To increase the thermite’s efficiency, increase the iron oxide content to be 4 parts to 1 part of aluminum. Step 4 Combine the
Thermite is a material used in welding to melt metals together. It burns at around 2200 C and can melt through most metals. • Obtain finely powdered iron oxide (rust), aluminum, and a thin strip of magnesium • Mix them together in a 8:3 ratio (iron oxide:aluminum) in a ratio by weight. Note that the since aluminum is so light, it will appear that it is about a 50-50 mix by volume.[1] • Pour the mixture into a strong container, such as a cast iron container. Note that if you ignite the thermite, it will melt the cast iron though. • Select your site carefully. Make sure there is nothing that can burn within four meter radius of the reaction. Insert and light the magnesium strip and it will burn out in a few seconds.
