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| Casting iron using Thermite instead of a furnace |
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| bhowden:
Another topic ("a Light Light") went well off topic and I helped push it further by posting about using Thermite to cast iron. In the intersts of letting that thread get back on topic and exposing the idea to a more relevant audience I am reposting my original reply here: This thread, now thoroughly off topic, has given me an interesting idea. I wonder if the home foundry type could use thermite to cast iron. Make up the normal green sand flask but instead of a furnace and crucible, scoop out a funnel in the sand and fill it with a mixture of thermite and cast iron bits. In theory you could work out how much extra cast iron it would take to absorb the surplus heat released by the thermite and make the process much more efficient and regulate the temperature of the pour. Not sure how well it would mix but, in theory you could add other elements to make all sorts of alloys. Add high carbon steel and get a low carbon steel mix. The major snag I can see is what happens to the aluminum oxide released by the thermite. Anybody know if it stays in the melted iron released or if it boils or floats off? There must be something in all the smoke! Has anybody heard of this or tried it? While it would be quite spectacular and make lots of smoke I think it would be fairly safe if done in an open area. The thermite reaction is not quick (as in explosion quick) and you could be well away from the hot bits, unlike wandering around with tongs and a crucible of molten iron. Brian |
| Fergus OMore:
Try :- The London Blitz 1940# Dresden Hamburg Coventry etc etc I've actually put out an incendiary bomb. I was all of about 10 or 11. It'll be a lot easier- yours will not be associated with 8x 500kg HE's and one of them, a time bomb. Really, what is this forum allowing? |
| spuddevans:
Somewhere in the back of my mind ( a dark and dangerous place, I don't like going there :lol: ) I seem to remember that the railways used to use such a mix to weld the rails together. Also I know that heavy duty copper earthing points are welded using the same method. Tim |
| bhowden:
Yes, it is used industrially to weld all sorts of heavy steel items. Wikipedia has quite a bit of info on its uses. While I suppose it makes sense, I was not aware of its use in incendiary bombs although that makes sense. The wiki article indicates that the most common military use was to disable your own equipment in a hurry if it looked like it was going to be captured. Melted field guns don't work very well. Brian |
| dsquire:
Fergus OMore Thanks for your concern. Just because termite can be used for bad things does not mean that everything it is used for is bad. Take for example fertilizer. Better Homes and Gardens talk about it all the time and give details on how to use it as well. Now we all know that fertilizer can also be used to make explosives but that does not stop people talking about it for other purposes. If it comes to the point that a product or material can not be talked about on the forum because someone has or might use it for bad purposes then it is time to burn all the books (encyclopedias and dictionaries included) and turn off the internet. In other words, stick our heads in the sand and wiggle our toes. Cheers :beer: Don |
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