1. By: Grant Smith

2. • Thermite is the product of an aluminum metal and iron oxide reaction at
an extreme temperature.
• Thermite has a wide variety of uses in the world today.
• It is mainly used for welding and incendiary bombs.
• During the WWII thermite was used by the United States military in
incendiary bombs.
• Today the military still uses thermite in grenades which can burn through
armor with ease
Summary

3. • A thermite reaction can’t be put out by
anything.
• Because of the intense heat of the
reaction itself, thermite will burn
underwater.
• It has been at the center of many
conspiracies.
• It was speculated that thermite could
have been the cause of the
Hindenburg disaster in 1937.
• Conspiracy theorists have also
speculated that controlled thermite
demolition bombs were the cause of
the 9-11 terror attacks.
Summary

4. • “Thermite is a generic name given to high-temperature reactions
between certain metal oxides and aluminum (Tinnesand 14).”
• The thermite reaction is an exothermic, single replacement
combustion reaction.
• The chemical formula for the thermite reaction is Fe2O3 + 2Al →
Al2O3 + 2Fe + heat.
• The change in enthalpy is about -850 kJ/mol
• In this reaction iron oxide and aluminum metal react with each other
to produce aluminum oxide, an elemental iron, and heat.
Chemistry

5. • Other metals such as chromium oxide and copper oxide are also
used.
• Iron is more reactive with the aluminum.
• In order to achieve the temperatures necessary to begin the reaction,
magnesium ribbons (Mg) or potassium permanganate (KMnO4) +
Glycerin.
• When the metals are ignited they reach temperatures as high as
3000 C which is about 5432 F.
• Thermite gives off enough energy to sustain itself.
• This intense heat causes the metals aluminum and iron oxide to melt
down to a molten liquid state.
Chemistry

6. • Other metals such as chromium oxide
and copper oxide are also used.
• Iron is more reactive with the
aluminum.
• In order to achieve the temperatures
necessary to begin the reaction,
magnesium ribbons (Mg) or potassium
permanganate (KMnO4) + Glycerin.
• When the metals are ignited they reach
temperatures as high as 3000 C which
is about 5432 F.
• Thermite gives off enough energy to
sustain itself.
• This intense heat causes the metals
aluminum and iron oxide to melt down
to a molten liquid state.
Chemistry

7. • Thermite is important to our lives because it has literally built this
country.
• Without it welding would be near impossible.
• Skyscrapers could not have been built without thermite.
• Thermite has and will continue to be used as a weapon to protect our
soldiers fighting abroad who are defending freedom.
Implications

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8XSmSdvEK4

9. Chemistry Daily. N.p., 4 Jan. 2007. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Thermite>.
Tinnesand, Michael. "MightyThermite." ChemMatters Feb. 2002: 14-15. Print
About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
<http://usmilitary.about.com/od/weapons/a/thermite.htm>
Ask theTA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.askthetachemistryhelp.com/thermite.html>.
"Thermite." Amazing Rust. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110707122310/amazingrust.com/experiments/
how_to/Thermite.html
Works Cited