TopBanana

Where can one purchase the ingredients for a bit of back-yard pyromaniac experimentation? Need aloominum oxide, iron oxide and magnesium ribbon.

Nimbus

May one ask the intended use of such items...?

mj

welding railway tracks?

Nimbus

Aluminium Oxide

Iron Oxide

Not sure about the Magnesium ribbon...

[Edited by Nimbus - 5/28/2003 3:05:51 PM]

TopBanana

Impressing small children

Nothing to do with the GATSO thread, honest

daiscooby

I believe this will constitute a Class 'A' explosive and I hope you have the correct permits and licence for the making, storage and use of the said explosive

boxst

And in fact I recommend that you pay in cash.

Steve.

Amen Corner

ScoobyWon't

I wonder what I did with my copy of the Jolly Roger Cook Book

beemerboy

magnesium ribbon can be found by putting on a white lab coat, and visiting your old senior school chemistry lab at lunchtime.

this will ensure:
a) the pesky kids are at lunch
b) the teachers are down the boozer

poke about in the store rooms and get yourself a jar of the stuff.
also feel free to swipe a few bunsen burners and petri dishes while you are there.

all the best

BB

boxst

Ah ... bunson burners. And those LabPac Imported-From-A-South-American-Country electric kits.

Steve.

lokokkee

I think you'll need aluminum powder, not the oxide. When I was fooling around in the lab ages ago, that can be obtained from paint materials supplier. It is the ingredient in aluminium and metallic paint. Failing which, visit fabrication shops and get some shavings from the floor. Iron oxide is rust, so if you have iron filings, expose them to the air and moisture and you have the stuff. Magnesium ribbon you have to try the old school lab loh. Briliant stuff when ignited.

Steve vRS

It will have to be aluminium oxide as aluminium oxides on contact with oxygen.

This is the reason why in flammable chemical factories, aluminium ladders are banned! All you have to do is smack it against a rusty pipe and BANG!

Steve

Markus

ahh, good ol thermix! My father heads up an ultrasonic testing team for Balfour Beatty, and in the past has welded rails together, and, umm, there might be some thermix kits in my garage along with, now banned, some warning detonators (don't ever hit one with a hammer, you'll fill your pants!). Suffice to say, when I was a teenager we did have some fun with this stuff.

lokokkee

Steve, if I remember my chemistry correctly, aluminum metal will oxidise at the surface to form an inert layer that will prevent further oxidation, but underneath is the active metal that is needed in the thermite reaction (the body of the airplane you fly in is mainly made from aluminium metal, including the fuel tank, so it is not that dangerous). The Al oxidises in the reaction and reduces the Fe oxide to metal. Very fine aluminum powder is dangerous stuff to fool around with, as it can ignite spontaneously at the slightest spark. Some formulae for homemade explosives use that as a major ingredient, so be very careful.

boxst

Hello

This might help you:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2948900.stm

Steve.