a friend and I are fabricating some thermite...

we're thinking of getting the rust from old cars and aluminum from aluminum foil.. we're going to grind them up and mix them. ( powdered ) I'm wondering the correct ratio for the mixture...

also... will these sources of Iron Oxide and Aluminum be adequate for a thermite explosion?

AND>> What is the best way to POWDER aluminum and iron oxide?

u dont need to make it just buy iy off unitednuclear.com

thats great.. but I'd like to make it...

can someone INTELLIGENT please reply to this

ferric oxide=iron oxide (notice, iron is fe, see the connection?)

and this is a bit extravagant for just thermite....seems like it's geared towards making it easy to light.....what with all the magnesium and KCl and sugar stuff....

http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/kboudr...stant_fire.htm

i like the pics of potassium chlorate and sugar fire..it purdy....

Thermite is basically a reactive metal (powdered) mixed with a oxide of a less reactive metal (also powdered). When you add enough activation energy, the following reaction will take place:

Al + FeO => AlO + Fe

Since the O-ion "wants" to react with the Al-ion, a lot of heat will come off, since there is less energy needed to form bonds with the Al-ion.

When lit, the reaction will sustain itself, until there is no Al-ion left to absorb one O-ion, or until there is no FeO-molecule left to donate one O-ion.

This reaction doesn't have to be with ironoxide and aluminium, you can also use stuff like potassium and sodiumoxide. But since aluminium and ironoxide (rust) are pretty easy to find, they are most used.

6:1 by mass is ideal.

Depends on what you use, the ratio varies with the use of Fe3+ or Fe2+. But you can calculate the perfect ratio with the weight of the molecules, and the amount of oxygen.