Chem/Pyrotechnic experts.

[CBFryman]

Well most everybody knows what thermite is and what it can do and how to make it. If you dont, dont worry about it because you wont know what you are doing and you will be playing with fire (literally) and when you play with fire you will get burnt (literally and by the opo's if you use it incorrectly)
Anyway. As a chem experament i am making some thermite to see how many cynderblocks i can burn through . However, Fe(II)O is easy to come by but pure aluminum powder is not. I am trying to make the best damn thermite i can. The chem lab at my school only has aluminum oxide powder. i dont feel like buying a bar of pure aluminum then grinding it down to a fine powder, ive gone through enough trouble to make 64g of Fe(II)O as pure as i possibly can with the supplies i have. So i am wondering, is there another metal in the same family as aluminum that i can use that will yeild the same or similar results. I mean from what i can gather it is either a simple single displacmeent or redox reaction that realeases a but load of energy. ive taken a gander at my periodic table and have founda metal i mat be able to use, gallium, however i have no idea where to get this shit and its low melting temp would make it a poor canidate. all of the metals in IIIB are also hard to come by...so now im back to aluminum, but other metals you can think of that will work just as well that are easier to come by would be much appreciated.
Now, i had another idea. i can get pure magnesium pebbles. would it help any to make it burn more thuroghly to mik these in or even grind them down to powerder and mix them into the thermite? last run of thermite i was involved in the limiting reactant was Iron Oxide and one that shit ignited it ignited and a good portion of it was never burned, so mixing in magnesium should help i beleive, but some positive feedback would be nice.
thanks for all your help, i hope i can burn through at least 3 cement blocks.

[dirtydx]

you are asking for trouble...........

[CBFryman]

well its for school, sort of...my chem teacher is kool...she let us throw a penny in nitric acid...outside...

[thrasher]

Dude, you need to get a professional opinion on this, from a Chemistry MS or PhD. I've been through a solid 3 years of College chem, and couldn't answer that with any certainty. I could only give you an educated guess, but considering that thermite can be expolsive and involves very high temperatures, you need to know for sure. Automotiveforums.com = not necessarily a hotbed of professional chemistry knowledge.

[sivic02]

I thought one key part of thermite was aluminum...its kind of like making milk with apples, it just doesnt work.

[mysatilac]

Never done it, but
Get an aluminum bar and run it on a belt sander till you get the amount you need,
And you will need a magnesium strip to light it,

Originally Posted by sivic02

I thought one key part of thermite was aluminum...its kind of like making milk with apples, it just doesnt work.

Yup, Yup

[Porsche]

There was once an article in Popular Science I believe on how to make thermite. Check the website archives and see if anything turns up.

[sameintheend01]

Originally Posted by CBFryman

Well most everybody knows what thermite is and what it can do and how to make it. If you dont, dont worry about it because you wont know what you are doing and you will be playing with fire (literally) and when you play with fire you will get burnt (literally and by the opo's if you use it incorrectly)
Anyway. As a chem experament i am making some thermite to see how many cynderblocks i can burn through . However, Fe(II)O is easy to come by but pure aluminum powder is not. I am trying to make the best damn thermite i can. The chem lab at my school only has aluminum oxide powder. i dont feel like buying a bar of pure aluminum then grinding it down to a fine powder, ive gone through enough trouble to make 64g of Fe(II)O as pure as i possibly can with the supplies i have. So i am wondering, is there another metal in the same family as aluminum that i can use that will yeild the same or similar results. I mean from what i can gather it is either a simple single displacmeent or redox reaction that realeases a but load of energy. ive taken a gander at my periodic table and have founda metal i mat be able to use, gallium, however i have no idea where to get this shit and its low melting temp would make it a poor canidate. all of the metals in IIIB are also hard to come by...so now im back to aluminum, but other metals you can think of that will work just as well that are easier to come by would be much appreciated.
Now, i had another idea. i can get pure magnesium pebbles. would it help any to make it burn more thuroghly to mik these in or even grind them down to powerder and mix them into the thermite? last run of thermite i was involved in the limiting reactant was Iron Oxide and one that shit ignited it ignited and a good portion of it was never burned, so mixing in magnesium should help i beleive, but some positive feedback would be nice.
thanks for all your help, i hope i can burn through at least 3 cement blocks.

It seems to me that gallium won't work too well. the melting point of it is VERY low (like 85 F --a little warmer than room temp).can't say about magnesium.

If you really wanna do this (make a video for everyone at AF), just grind out the aluminium. The Iron was hard to grind b/c iron is a very hard material (much harder than steel) and most grinders are made out of iron. Alumnium will grind VERY easily with an iron grinder (even by hand). if you have a block of it, i can't imagine it taking more than 15 min to grind up 65g of it...
BTW, if you don't know if it is a redox or single disp. rxn, maybe u shouldn't be trying this. then again, i've done way dumber-er-er stuff. <--- experience 4 yrs chem

[sameintheend01]

Originally Posted by sivic02

I thought one key part of thermite was aluminum...its kind of like making milk with apples, it just doesnt work.

i'm sorry i have ot mention this, but my roommate's favorite drink is apples, milk, sugar, and cinnamon blended together. i tried it once and i almost threw up.

but, i agree, i don't think u can mix the metals like that.

[_WIDE_LOAD_]

Man....you're nuts for one....and I agree with the others. Just grind up some aluminium. Probably the easiest way to do it.
Just a question why are you making Thermite anyway.

I got in serious shit just form the local council for making the organic version of dynamite (nitro-pill fertiliser mixed with diesel in equal parts) to remove tree stumps from my mates property.
Later, WIDE.

[fredjacksonsan]

Finer grind = better burning.

[Scoob@AutoForums]

just buy a block of aluminum (i know you dont want to) then just shove it against a grinding wheel with a kind shield to collect the "dust" oh and wear goggles, ha ha making explosives, i spend chemistry leson (just had my last EVER today) buring things....

[CBFryman]

Well for thoes that dont know, gallium has similar chemical properties to Aluminum. however, like what was stated, it has a very low melting point. I found some help, so no worries. and i located some aluminum powder. Thermite isnt nessicarily na explosive (though it can be used as one) and i am not interested in making an explosion.

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by sameintheend01

It seems to me that gallium won't work too well. the melting point of it is VERY low (like 85 F --a little warmer than room temp).can't say about magnesium.

The Iron was hard to grind b/c iron is a very hard material (much harder than steel)

Iron is not harder than steel, Steel is mostly iron and depending on the type, usually a fraction of to about 7% carbon. Steel hardness and strength varies depending on Carbon, Chromium, Nickel, and other various metals content.

But as far as I know, Steel is not softer than Iron especially if it is tempered steel.

[Jet-Lee]

I thought Iron was Purified to form steel, because steel was stronger......