Thermite

Atomicrox · Dec 31, 2013

That's not exactly what I meant, it's kinda hard to explain. Let me try to draw something..

Excuse the low res and poor drawing. That's the best I could do in 5 minutes

Note how small bits of the powder a scattered on top of the ribbon without covering it.

ryansoh3 · Dec 31, 2013

Thanks for your sketch. That was how I did interpret your method, but the Mg goes out whenever it touches the thermite mixture.

Even if I did lay a piece of Mg flat on thermite without anything on top of it, it would go out. Maybe it has too much impurities? :undecided:

Atomicrox · Dec 31, 2013

Hmm, strange... Mine only goes out if a significant portion is inside the thermite.

There's an alternative method, easier to do but more dangerous (might start the reaction almost instantly due to spills). Just insert a sparkler till the burnable part is 1-2cm inside the thermite, light it up and run like hell. Take a look at the wiki for other methods.

If that doesn't work either you should check your mix (3g of Fe2O3 to 1g of Al) or your ingredients.

ryansoh3 · Dec 31, 2013

Yeah, I'll try the sparkler method out and see what happens.

My Mg ribbon was $3 per 25g roll. Too good to be true?
1 Roll Magnesium MG Pure Ribbon High Purity Lab Chemicals 99 95 25g | eBay

Atomicrox · Dec 31, 2013

Quite cheap indeed, I'd get an extra one if they shipped here

I find it very unlikely that the Mg is the problem, but let's see if one of the more experienced members can give you a hand.

The Lightning Stalker · Dec 31, 2013

If it's being really stubborn, you can try breaking a light bulb and sticking the filament in there.

Sigurthr · Jan 2, 2014

If you can source Potassium Chlorate (KClO3), that is how I always ignited my mixtures. 1 part KClO3 to 0.8 parts table sugar (sucrose). It makes an excellent incendiary mixture, doesn't burn too fast, but not too slow to work well. Makes an excellent firework/propellant base. Ignites with a simple fuse/candle/match, etc.

If you can source some then make the starter mix and add in 15% by weight of thermite mix, pour the thermite as desired and then make a small indentation in the edge of the pile, where you pour the starter mix. I used about 10g starter to ignite 100g of thermite.

ryansoh3 · Jan 2, 2014

I just checked out KClO3, and seems like it's a regulated compound here, and prices are fairly steep. I'll have a look around but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it.

Seoul_lasers · Jan 3, 2014

ryansoh3 said:
I just checked out KClO3, and seems like it's a regulated compound here, and prices are fairly steep. I'll have a look around but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it.

In most places KClO3 is strictly regulated, though it is 'fairly' easy to produce
using a Chlorate reactor and Potassium Chloride.
The reactor uses an electrochemical process to produce the salt. It takes quite some time to do this however.

I have tried the reactor method before for producing Sodium Perchlorate and it definitely worked. Make sure you have platinum electrodes or in my case MMO mesh electrodes. MMO is used for electroplating and is FAR cheaper than the Pt. It will give clean results for the above usage.
Contaminated Perchlorate is EXTREMELY unstable and can spontaneously ignite or even explode.

Don't even think about using this process on Ammonium Chloride unless you've got a death wish.

SRESAL · Jan 3, 2014

basic flash with some dextrin to slow it down will light thermite... you can even do it with a laser. :beer:

Sigurthr · Jan 3, 2014

I used to buy KClO3 and KClO4 (dangerous!) in 5lb bags for a little under $25/bag. Just goes to show how long it has been since I dabbled in pyrotechnics. It was Pre-2001, so that surely makes a difference.

I should let on about the reason I stopped doing pyrotechnics. I inadvertently made a grenade.... and then blew myself back about 3 or 4 meters... while standing 2.5 meters away to begin with. I mixed up KClO4 for KClO3, and had done stoichiometry to ensure all the sucrose would be used up.... and didn't calculate the exit nozzle pressure and just "winged it". Set off all the car alarms in the neighborhood and blew out my nearby garage's windows.

So yeah, know what you're getting in to.

Atomicrox · Jan 3, 2014

That's why I avoid chemistry in general - just a little bit here and there

. Way too easy to kill yourself.

Seoul_lasers · Jan 3, 2014

Sigurthr said:
I used to buy KClO3 and KClO4 (dangerous!) in 5lb bags for a little under $25/bag. Just goes to show how long it has been since I dabbled in pyrotechnics. It was Pre-2001, so that surely makes a difference.

I should let on about the reason I stopped doing pyrotechnics. I inadvertently made a grenade.... and then blew myself back about 3 or 4 meters... while standing 2.5 meters away to begin with. I mixed up KClO4 for KClO3, and had done stoichiometry to ensure all the sucrose would be used up.... and didn't calculate the exit nozzle pressure and just "winged it". Set off all the car alarms in the neighborhood and blew out my nearby garage's windows.

So yeah, know what you're getting in to.

Good point. When things go wrong with oxidizers + fuels they tend to do so spectacularly.

I do recall a few "experiments" with Hydrogen peroxide at 36% and
a few other unmentionable substances.
A couple experiments yielded a particular liquid OP that would dehydrate on it's own accord in full sunlight and mysteriously detonate as if by magic.
Any material soaked in this solution could detonate rather well. :angel::angel:
After I destroyed our picnic table inadvertently I decided that was enough.

I have a feeling that I may set up a Chlorate reactor again
at some point here in ROK. We'll see if I can't source some of the MMO
mesh around town.

DashApple · Jan 3, 2014

pure KClO4 is quite stable ; more than KClO3 ( but must be kept away from sulphur / sulphur compounds ! ) , I've used KClO3 in colour smoke comps based in lactose and I've used KClO4 in metal fuel colourd star mixtures .

If you are having real problems with igniting the thermite , then I would check the oxide and aluminium are dry , as fine grate AL/iron oxide mix shouldn't be to hard to set off assuming the chemicals are fine and not to course

Co2 lasers do set of thermite quite well .....

crazyspaz · Jan 3, 2014

Any luck? I just light my magnesium, drop it in, and run like hell. Works out nicely lol

It usually takes about a second to light the thermite, which is plenty of time for me to scurry away to about ~10 feet.

The Lightning Stalker · Jan 4, 2014

Seoul_lasers said:
Good point. When things go wrong with oxidizers + fuels they tend to do so spectacularly.

I do recall a few "experiments" with Hydrogen peroxide at 36% and
a few other unmentionable substances.
A couple experiments yielded a particular liquid OP that would dehydrate on it's own accord in full sunlight and mysteriously detonate as if by magic.
Any material soaked in this solution could detonate rather well. :angel::angel:
After I destroyed our picnic table inadvertently I decided that was enough.

I have a feeling that I may set up a Chlorate reactor again
at some point here in ROK. We'll see if I can't source some of the MMO
mesh around town.

That reminds me of the time I made ammonium iodide crystals. I had about a teaspoonfull
drying on a paper towel while I was on the computer. The purity must have come out a bit
high because some air current or something set them off. It was like a 10x14 room. Damn
were my ears ringing. Those thing have got to be like the easiest high explosive to make.

Thermite

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