Subject: Re: thermite receipe?

From: [email-masked] (Clive Washington)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 1994 13:24:30 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (bill nelson) wrote:

(about thermite) 
> 
> It may be ignited by using potassium chlorate and sulfuric acid, or
> potassium permanganate and glycerin.
> 

I wouldn't advise anyone to use these mixtures.  They have been known to 
explode spontaneously.  For a standard chemistry demo, we used to use
one part aluminium powder, two parts iron oxide (by weight, about 250g
total).  Mix well and form a hole in the middle.  

Into this hole, put a mixture of 1 part
magnesium powder and 2 parts iron oxide.  Insert a fuse of 2-3 inches
of magnesium ribbon into this second mixture.  Ignite the fuse with a
Bunsen burner and run like hell.

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