At what temperature does thermite burn?

[seriously disabled]

I know that Dicyanoacetylene (carbon subnitride) combusts at a flame temperature of 4990°C. This is hot enough to melt almost all metals, except maybe some superalloys.

 

But what about thermite? At what temperature does thermite burn and how is it actually calculated?

[jarmenkill]

hi

i don't know that temperature exactly BUT you may use burning magnesium bar to ignite it.

[mississippichem]

You could calculate it from the enthalpy of reaction, heat capacity, and some thermal conductivity parameters. The temperature will be different for different locations within the medium though. I know it's at least above the melting temperature for iron which is about 1811 K as per wikipedia.

[Horza2002]

It is difficult to predict the temperature a reaction rises too. I know its used to weld railway lines together and so is above the melying point of iron.

[John Cuthber]

It melts the alumina too so it's hotter than 2070C or about 2340K.

Estimates probably vary a bit but 2500C (from wiki) looks to be about right