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A thermite reaction is one in which aluminium metal is oxidized by an oxide of another metal, most commonly that of iron. (The name thermite is also used to refer to a mixture of two such chemicals.) The products are aluminium oxide, free elemental metal and a great deal of heat. The reactants are commonly powdered and mixed with a binder to keep the material solid and prevent separation.Although the reactants are stable at room temperature, when they are exposed to sufficient heat to ignite, they burn with an extremely intense exothermic reaction. The products emerge as liquids due to the high temperatures reached (with iron (III) oxide, commonly 3000 °C or more). Thermite contains its own supply of oxygen, and does not require any external source (such as air). Consequently, it cannot be smothered and may ignite in any environment, given sufficient initial heat. This, combined with the extremely high temperatures generated, makes thermite reactions extremely hazardous unless appropriate precautions are taken.
Thermite reactions have many uses. Thermite grenades and bombs are used in combat as incendiary devices, able to burn through heavy armor or other fireproof barriers. Thermite can also be used for quickly cutting or welding metal such as rail tracks, without requiring complex or heavy equipment. The reaction has also been used to purify the oreAn ore is a mineral deposit containing a metal or other valuable resource in economically viable concentrations. Usually, it is used in the context of a mineral deposit from which it is economical to extract its metallic component. Ores are mined. Ore bods of some metals, e.g. uraniumUranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. A heavy, silvery-white, toxic, metallic , and naturally- radioactive element, uranium belongs to the actinide series and its isotope uranium-235 is used as the.
When thermite is made using iron (III) oxide, for maximum efficiency it should contain, by massMass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. It is a central concept of classical mechanics and related subjects. Strictly speaking, there are two different quantities called mass Inertial mass, 25.3% aluminium and 74.7% iron oxide. (This mixture is sold under the brand name Thermit as a heat source for welding.) The complete formula for the reaction using iron (III) oxide is as follows:
- Fe2O3 + 2Al → Al2O3 + 2Fe; ΔH = -851.5k JThe joule (symbol J also called newton metre or coulomb volt is the SI unit of energy and work. The unit is pronounced to rhyme with "tool", and is named in honour of the physicist James Prescott Joule (1818-1889). 1 joule 1 N · 1 m 1 newton · 1 metre 1 k/ molThis is about the municipality in Belgium. For other uses, see Mol (disambiguation). Mol is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Mol proper. On January 1st, 2004 Mol had a total population
Thermite should not be confused with a thermal lanceA thermal lance or thermic lance is a tool which burns iron in an oxygen environment to create very high temperatures for cutting. It consists of a long iron tube, often packed with iron wire. One end of the tube is placed in a holder and oxygen is fed th.
See also
- Wikibooks: Thermite synthesis
Materials
Welding
Chemical reactions
Incendiary weapons
