thermite won't ignite

[budullewraagh]

flash powder reacts FAR more rapidly than thermite. use a strip of magnesium as a fuse; ignite it, run away, and then watch the reaction

[akcapr]

ya however thermite can react really fast, but generally flash powder is alot faster.

[budullewraagh]

there is absolutely no comparison. flash powder is exponentially faster than gunpowder. gunpowder is exponentially faster than any thermite

[YT2095]

not actualy ANY thermit.

 

some thermits will burn Much faster than BP or Flash.

 

think "Dragon Eggs"

[rthmjohn]

I think I'm just gonna use a torch and then run like hell since thermite can shoot molten iron in a 20 foot radius

[ThermiteMan]

yes it can.... i know from experience. the farthest it has shot for me is about 4-5 feet when i have done it. the one time i did it on my grill and it fell through a hole on the side burner that another thermite made and molten iron shattered on the floor and almost hit me. ( i had flip-flop sandals on.. that wouldve hurt)

[rthmjohn]

i'll be sure to wear layers and some thick boots

[YT2095]

here`s a tip, wear your jeans OVER your boots, NEVER tuck them in!

[flyboy]

use a sparkler' date=' the sort used on birthday cakes, they`ll light even a Bad mix!

 

although I`m still curious What you want Thermit for?[/quote']

 

because hes a pyro like all of us here

[H2SO4]

oh u will, its not an explosion- ull be able to to get away. Like look at my avatar- im lghting that flash powder with the equivalent of a blow torch, and i got away easily and i got it on film and wasnt hurt at all, and flash powder is a bit more violent than thermite, however thermite can fling hot fragments.

 

 

Im sorry to tell you this old friend akcapr, but ive seen the video of your flash powder and, flash powder is much more intense. The stuff you made is interesting, but true flash powder (i.e. 75% potassium perchlorate and 25%aluminum powder german dark) wouldve blown the head of that torch. In yours we heard a whoodh sound, but in true flash, you here a loud bang. Trust me, flash is scary as hell.

[H2SO4]

I found a way to flawlessly ignite thermite, ok so make your thermite and set up your pile (or watever your doing with it). Next get a piece of Mg ribbon. Bend it like in the picture. Now sprink some oxidizer on just the ribbon, as seen in the picture. Ok, so you light the top of the ribbon, and run like hell. When the burning Mg falls onto the Mg with oxidizer on it, it will violently ignite and you will have enough heat to flawlessly ignite your thermite. In the picture ive used sugar in the place of thermite so you can see the oxidizer i put on it.

 

Check out the attachment.

[H2SO4]

wow the thing came out huge. Its only 800kb though.

[akcapr]

wast that stuff at the bottom? gunpowder or something and like someting white?

[H2SO4]

the white powder was just sugar, but that just to show how it would be set up if you wante dto ignite thermite.

[rthmjohn]

Hmm, interesting... I used a butane torch to attempt an ignition, but failed miserably. I don't know if Mg burns hotter than butane, but I think that my problem is that my Fe2O3 is homemade and probably not pure or fine enough. My Al on the other hand is 99% pure and the dust is 2 microns. I'm just gonna order some ACS grade iron oxide.

[latentheat]

Hmm, interesting... I used a butane torch to attempt an ignition, but failed miserably. I don't know if Mg burns hotter than butane, but I think that my problem is that my Fe2O3 is homemade and probably not pure or fine enough. My Al on the other hand is 99% pure and the dust is 2 microns. I'm just gonna order some ACS grade iron oxide.

 

Butane torch doesn't work with the iron oxide thermite, I tried it the first time I did it...and I was using reagent grade iron oxide that time. Mg ribbon won't do it alone either.

 

Either try what H2SO4 suggested above (which looks like it should work well), or use a mixture of sulphur and aluminum on top of your thermite pile as starter, with a piece of Mg ribbon on top of the Al and S at the very top. Quickly light the Mg with a butane torch and it will ignite the Aluminum and Sulphur which will ignite the thermite mixture. You can't light the sulphur and aluminum directly, the sulphur will just react w/ oxygen in the air, you need Mg ribbon.

 

Also, home made iron oxide should work. A batch that I made with electrolysis thermited fine.

[H2SO4]

i used the iron oxide from our boat trailer for an expirement were you mix carbon ( i used soot) and iron oxid eand the carbon reduces it.

[d22k]

heh, ive had similar problems getting it to light, heres how i did it...

 

take the thermite and mix it 7 parts Fe2O3 to 4 Parts Al2,

I mxed it by taking a container with a good lid, mine was a cardboard tube with a pop lid for storing black pepper corns, filling it with the mix and shaking vigorously for a minute or so. Its improtant you skake it vigorously, and NOT only in one direction, or you will jsut separate them.

 

My mixture was the just a touch lighter than the pure fe2o3.

 

Stick it in the appropritate container with a garden sparkler light it and stand back =)

 

Just out of interest, how did u make your iron oxide?

[H2SO4]

me? I scraped it off a boat trailer. Anyway, ya, sparklers work good, but offer no delay, unless fused.

[d22k]

i was actually referring to the author of the thread =)

 

and i must disagree, the sparklers give about 30seconds, the amount of time it takes to burn from the op of the sparkler to the base, where it meets the thermite mix =)

[calbiterol]

Or the base to the top, depending on how you light it.

[akcapr]

the way i make my iron oxide is u take a tub with electrolyte, and pretty much just runan electrolysis and put some iron item on the positive electrode, where the metal will oxidize to form iron oxide which will float as orange scum in the water. u can the filter and dry that.

[d22k]

ah, i think thats your problem.

 

Take the iron oxide you have made, and heat it in a pan. this liberates an ogygen atom from each molecule.

 

The iron oxide should then go significantly redder.

 

You can do this with the thermite mix u already have, if you dont want to waste the iron =)

[latentheat]

The electrolytic method I use is NaCl electrolyte, iron anode, copper cathode. Iron chloride forms at the anode, and sodium hydroxide at the cathode. When they mix, double replacement occurs and iron hydroxide precipitates out. It's a greenish gunk. Gentle heating of iron hydroxide decomposes it to iron oxide.

 

Some iron oxide does form directly due to oxygen formation at the anode.

[akcapr]

and i forgot to mention i heat it in a pan to dehydrate it .