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Thermite!. You wouldn’t like it when it’s angry!. Drew Moug, Ginny Raymond, Michael “Miguel” Schantz, Lorenzo Tulipano ENGR 45, 11 May 2009, SRJC. The Basics.
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Thermite! You wouldn’t like it when it’s angry! Drew Moug, Ginny Raymond, Michael “Miguel” Schantz, Lorenzo Tulipano ENGR 45, 11 May 2009, SRJC
The Basics Thermite is a combination of Iron Oxide (rust) and Aluminum that, when it reacts, creates an unstoppable reaction that produces molten metal at temperatures reaching 2500˚C. The reaction is as follows: Fe2O3 + 2Al --> Al2O3 + 2Fe
A Little History • The Thermite reaction was discovered, and later patented, by German chemist Dr. Hans Goldschmidt. • The Doctor realized the application in welding, and the first commercial use of Thermite was welding two pieces of train track together in 1899. • This would serve to be the primary use of Thermite
About Thermite Welding • Ideal for welding train tracks • No track removal necessary • Very portable
SMAW MIG TIG Thermite
Problems with Thermite Welds • The weld can be porous, resulting in weaker welds than traditional welding, as seen here
Weld Comparison Bend Test • In order to see the relative strength of a Thermite weld, we compared it to three other types of traditional welds; shielded metal arc weld (SMAW), metal inert gas (MIG), and tungsten inert gas (TIG). • All of our welds were done with ¼ in. thick mild steel (<.29% Carbon), and the welds are approximately 3 in. wide. • After the welds were completed, we tested them in a bend/flexural strength test, where we recorded force and deflection distance. • Stress, strain, and the flexural modulus were calculated with the following equations: Raw data has been omitted due to its extensive size.
Weld Comparison Bend Test (Results)
Weld Comparison Bend Test MIG SMAW TIG Thermite
Sources • eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_2081916_make-thermite.html • University of Illinois: http://fcp.mechse.illinois.edu/media/pdfs/Lawrence%20presentation.pdf • Wikipedia: • Thermite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite • Carbon Steel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_steel