What is a Thermal Lance?
A thermal lance, also known as a burning bar or thermic lance, is an industrial tool that uses the oxidization of iron to generate very high temperatures (7000 to 8000°F, or 3,871 to 4,426°C) for cutting through just about anything, including rock. The temperature generated is greater than the melting point of any known substance – with diamond having the highest at 3,547°C or 6,416°F. Thermal lances are hollow bars filled with iron wires. High purity oxygen is pumped throughout the interior of the lance, and the end must be lit by a high-temperature source – an oxyacetylene torch does the job nicely. A thermal lance sounds like some sort of sci-fi-esque energy weapon, but in fact it is only used by construction workers, not space pirates. The thermal lance has many uses – it can be used whenever some metallic or non-metallic material must be removed from an area, or cut in half, and there is no other way. In industrial spillage incidents, when molten material is spilled, it can be all
