Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Aluminum thermostat (thermite) is a material used for welding metal. It burns at a temperature of about 2200 ° C and can melt most metals. Today WikiHow teaches you how to make aluminum thermostats.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Precautions for danger

1. 

   Choose your workplace carefully. Make sure that there is nothing that can catch fire within a four meter radius of the reaction. Check that metals with low melting points, such as lead, iron, cadmium or zinc are within the four meter radius above.

2. 

   
   
   Wear a solder mask for complete protection, otherwise, at least wear sunglasses. In extremely hot conditions, aluminum heat produces ultraviolet rays that can be harmful to the eyes if we are not properly equipped.

3. 

   Wear thick gloves and cover your body. As a precaution, you need to wear full body clothing and make sure the gloves are thick enough. advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Generating aluminum heat

1. 

   
   
   Prepare some fine metal iron oxide powder (rust), aluminum powder, and a thin strip of magnesium. Iron and aluminum oxide will react to form thermite, while magnesium will act as an ignition material.
   • You can find aluminum powder at paint shops, in Etch-a-Sketch drawings or online.
   • If you don't want to use magnesium strips to primer materials, you can also use a combination of potassium permanganate (purple potion) with glycerin, both available at retail stores or online.

2. 

   
   
   Mix aluminum powder and iron oxide together in mass ratio 27:80. Iron oxide powder will dominate a lot over aluminum.
   • For example, if you have 10 grams of iron oxide and 10 grams of aluminum, take 8 grams of iron oxide and 2.7 grams of aluminum powder together until they are fully fused.

3. 

   Place the mixture in a sturdy container like a cast iron bucket or clay flower pot. Note that when burned, the aluminum heat will melt through the cast iron.

4. 

   Put in the magnesium strip.

5. 

   Burn up the magnesium strip, which will burn within seconds. If you choose to use potassium permanganate and glycerin, sprinkle a fair amount of potassium permanganate over the aluminum heat mixture, then add glycerin. This is not very reliable, so it's best to use the magnesium strip. advertisement

Advice

• Do not let this material come into contact with ice or anything below room temperature as it will explode.
• Consider placing a mold underneath the aluminum thermostat to catch the molten iron.
• Burning a piece of magnesium can be a bit difficult, so use a propane torch (a type of fuel).
• Avoid aluminum thermal reactions on public property or on roads, sidewalks, parks, etc. Burning a hole through the surface of something in public can get you in trouble and also cause trouble for others.
• This process should only be done on your property and under supervision.

Warning

• Do not add an amount of aluminum heat to the aluminum heat flame or hot product of the reaction.
• Only use a sturdy container and do not pick it up while the reaction is in progress.
• It is absolutely not recommended to heat aluminum above the ice block as this could cause a dangerous explosion.
• Do not try to put out the aluminum heat flame with water. If you've chosen a safe place, it's best to let the reaction happen. If not, quench the reaction with a large amount of dry sand. An aluminum thermal reaction once started is irreversible.
• Wear solder glasses and do not look directly into open flames.
• The use of aluminum thermosets is illegal in some regions.
• Do not use cast iron as the containment material for the reaction, as the flame can melt most of the metal, instead use clay.
• This is a risky operation. Aluminum heat burns at extremely high temperatures and can cause burns.
• Make sure the magnesium strip is long enough to give you time to stay away.
• Have a fire extinguisher to put out extra flames if you have one (extinguishing metal flames is virtually impossible), handy first aid kit and wear appropriate protective equipment (goggles, flame retardant apron, thick gloves).