Why are thermite reactions inmportant?
A thermite reaction is any example where aluminium is used to reduce a metal oxide. These reactions are highly exothermic because of the stability of aluminium oxide. One use of the thermite reaction is the use of aluminium and iron(III) oxide to weld together railway lines. This is still done using a thermit mixture of iron oxide and aluminium. Thermite grenades and bombs have used in combat as incendiary devices. The reaction has also been used to extract some metals from their oxides. Risk assessment Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropriate control measures to reduce the risks. You must have these approved by those in authority in your school or college laboratory. Do not rely on what is said on this website. For further guidance see our tutorial on Risk Assessment.
