Thermite

Description:

An extremely exothermic reaction between Iron Oxide (rust) and Aluminum produces liquid Iron.

Procedure or Operation Notes:

Wrap Aluminum foil around one of the rusty iron balls. Hold securely, and hit the two balls together with a glancing blow. Watch out for your fingers.

The chemical reaction is: Fe₂O₃ (s) + 2Al (s) → Al₂O₃ (s) + 2Fe (l) + heat.

The reaction temperature can be as high as 2500°C and the sparks produced in the reaction are liquid Iron at ~1600°C. ΔH = -849 kJ/mole.

References, Comments, or Footnotes:

1) Available from Flinn Scientific.