Aluminum/cuprous oxide thermite
Thermite is a generic name applied to a class of metal-metal oxide reactants that undergo a chemical oxidation reduction reaction with the liberation of large amounts of thermal energy. If a mixture of aluminum and cuprous oxide is ignited, the thermitic reaction 2Al + 3Cu/sub 2/O ..-->.. Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ + 6Cu will proceed at such a rapid rate (burn rate of 6 cm/s) and with the evolution of so much heat (580 cal/g) that the temperature will rise to about 2570/sup 0/C. The thermite reaction, accordingly, has been used for sabotaging or destroying military equipment, starting military fires, and welding together large sections of metal. Aluminum/cuprous oxide (Al/Cu/sub 2/O) thermite is discussed in this report with respect to these topics: reactant powder characterization; power contaminant extraction; reactant powder compaction into a consolidated pellet; initiation system; and reaction and reaction product analysis.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5433671
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-53189; ON: DE82012866
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ACETIC ACID ESTERS
ALKANES
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
BINARY MIXTURES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COPPER
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION
FABRICATION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
IMPURITIES
MATERIALS
METALS
METHANE
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MIXTURES
MOLDING
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETIZING
POWDERS
REDUCTION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
THERMITE PROCESS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
YIELDS