[TowerTalk] thermite Re: Copper wire prices

[Jim Lux]

From:  "K8RI on TowerTalk" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
proportion).


>>Some may not realize what you are grinning about.  To illustrate, consider
> or, that CadWeld powder is a mixture of copper oxide and aluminum
> powder (thermite)

I thought thermite was Iron Oxide and powdered Aluminum.  

--- generally, any metal oxide and aluminum, where the reaction takes the oxygen off the oxide and combines w/the aluminum.  As long as the heat of formation of the aluminum oxide is greater than that of the metal oxide, the thermal balance is exothermic, keeping the metal molten. The unreacted aluminum also keeps the hot parent metal from oxidizing.  And, aluminum oxide melts at a very high temp so it floats on the metal and doesn't contaminate the weld.

All very nifty and so simple.

That stuff will go 
through a concrete floor like butter. 
http://www.ilpi.com/genchem/demo/thermite/index.html  

indeed it will...  A clay flowerpot makes a nice crucible.