Help with thermite... Improvised Al + iron oxide

[alchemist]

Basically i'm interested in making some thermite but have a few queries. If you can help me i'd appreciate it.
1. Is putting steel wool in water for some time, then filtering an effective/working method for making fairly pure rust.
2. I'm having issues making Al powder. Over the net i've seen people say "just grind it up." I have done that with Aluminium foil and a very fine cheese grater and after some filtering this has left me with a very fine powder. Would this powder contain any impurities and if so how would i go about filtering them out?
3. Roughly, what would the composition for thermite be by volume (size)?
4. Lets just say i'd like to have a moldable thermite, what would i add to the thermite and what would the composition of thermite to xxx be?
thanks.

[jrly]

There are plenty of topics on this already, but here
1. that should make rust, but there are better ways
2. I don't think aluminum foil will work because it is already oxidized and it shouldn't be
3/4. not sure what you mean by moldable, like plastic explosives I assume, but it is a powder not a puddy like substance and here is a place for a complete walkthrough not great but adequate http://www.bombshock.com/file2/makin...ERMITE-173.htm

[go*big*or*go*home]

To get rust relativly fast you can take a battery charger and hook i up to 2 iron rods and put them i salt water in a backet or jar.

[Vallen]

I have a bunch of nails in water now they been that way for like 4 months.
The is alot of rust on the nails and i have atleast 1/2 of the bottom of the container filled with rust.

[go*big*or*go*home]

i cant get the video but you have to take the battery charger and clip the charger on to the nails so that it works faster

[Guskicks]

Originally Posted by go*big*or*go*home

i cant get the video but you have to take the battery charger and clip the charger on to the nails so that it works faster

If thats the method I think youre talking about its a HUGE waste of energy.

[Thelasttrueone]

and it releases some gas, believe me I tried it. In my room, next to where I sleep. oh and the side that doesn't produce rust is producing some kind of acid that eats away at the electrode. really that idea doesn't work unless you like big foamy containers, noxious gases and replacing electrodes 4 times a day.

[go*big*or*go*home]

i tried it three times the first time it ate my electrode the second time it didnt it just has to be thick enough and the gas is clorine and something else

[jrly]

Originally Posted by Thelasttrueone

and it releases some gas.

It releases hydrogen, which is flamable, but in such small amounts it is barely noticable. It is cool though if you take a match to it and the flame gets bigger and doesn't move farther down the match.

[go*big*or*go*home]

but it dose realese chlorine dosnt it... and thats poisonous

[jrly]

Originally Posted by go*big*or*go*home

but it dose realese chlorine dosnt it... and thats poisonous

Negligible amounts and that is from the miniscule amount of salt that was added for conductivity. So I wouldn't worry about it unless you have a big vat going with a car battery attached to it.

[go*big*or*go*home]

ok thanks

[brendon575]

best thermite. go to your school lab and steal it. SWIM did it. and boy does he love igniting it with magnesium ribbon on the hoods of peoples cars and watching it melt through the engine block to the floor. try it

[jrly]

Originally Posted by brendon575

best thermite. go to your school lab and steal it. SWIM did it. and boy does he love igniting it with magnesium ribbon on the hoods of peoples cars and watching it melt through the engine block to the floor. try it

Look at this
http://www.bombshock.com/forums/view...highlight=swim

Not everyone has the option to steal it from their school and most schools do not have it premade just laying around.

[go*big*or*go*home]

mine dosnt hav it at all my skool is boring

[brendon575]

i thought the whole swim thing would have been funny to use. since im such a comical person.... but anyways. back to irl... ha... my school is crazy we have a 1 pound jar of potassium chlorate just lying around.

but yah back to thermite i hear the best way is to do the whole oxidizing in the water. so try that. :]

[go*big*or*go*home]

mines to uptite

[alchemist]

does anyone know if u even can make Al powder out of regular foil? I've seen little snippets over the internet but nothing that looked legitimate.

[Jago]

Originally Posted by brendon575

i thought the whole swim thing would have been funny to use. since im such a comical person

Funny or not(you might think it is, other's don't), don't do it again, or you will find yourself on the receiving end of a ban stick

[jrly]

Originally Posted by alchemist

does anyone know if u even can make Al powder out of regular foil? I've seen little snippets over the internet but nothing that looked legitimate.

I am not completely positive, but I am pretty sure you can't because Aluminum foil is already oxidized and it is supposed to be just Al, not Al2O3.

[maxpayne0974]

As far as the Fe203 goes, just do as most have said above, nails in water, or any other iron substance (steel wool is a goodie).

A s***load of aluminum powder can be taken out of an etch-a-sketch, though its not easy getting open, and is quite messy. BTW its chinese aluminum =)

[Guskicks]

I made my own Aluminium Powder, it took a long time but in the end I ended up with some high quality powder...

For Iron Oxide, I used a fish tank and 5.5 Litres of water. Then I used several Iron Hinges [The ones from old English country doors...] and some old Iron bolts...

I got a lot of Iron Oxide from that...

Just my $0.2 Cence