Microscale Thermite Reaction

5/15/2026 at 11:12:51 PM

that brings childhood memories. Not too microscale though. Rust was everywhere in USSR. Small buckets of rust, small buckets of aluminum powder. When we experimentally discovered the reaction - we were too young still for school chemistry lessons - it was "microscale" - we burned a hole in the kitchen table in my friend's apartment (like a true hero he told his parents that he was alone and received the punishment :) We also tried to make a rocket using the mix as the rocket fuel - it burned the whole rocket like a huge firework :)

by trhway

5/15/2026 at 11:39:01 PM

I have something I want to remove rust from, so I have been thinking about sand blasting. Thus, this thought popped into my head: how spectacular would it be to use aluminum powder? (To be clear, I am not going to try this.)

My wife’s reaction to this was “You guys…” but I know she would absolutely want to watch if someone was going to try it.

by mannykannot

5/17/2026 at 2:32:18 PM

Something like over torqued lugs on aluminum wheels

by cobalt60

5/16/2026 at 5:42:25 AM

I suspect you would need much more kinetic energy to get a thermite reaction going than the aluminum powder in a sand blaster.

by etrautmann

5/17/2026 at 1:51:53 AM

I wouldn't have thought you could do it by whacking together some 2kg rusty iron balls and aluminum foil but you can. I wouldn't try it inside of a building I didn't want to burn down.

by tenuousemphasis

5/15/2026 at 10:50:43 PM

Based on the title I was expecting to see “energetic materials”, which are carefully engineered variants of thermite.

For example, alternating layers of aluminium and iron oxide can be deposited in the same manner as seen in chip production by evaporating the materials in a vacuum chamber.

This allows layers tens of nanometers thin, essentially a perfect mixing and a very intimate contact between the reactants.

Some of these materials have far more bang per unit mass than conventional explosives.

by jiggawatts

5/16/2026 at 12:33:04 AM

wow I hadn't heard of this but it's quite cool. aka Nano-Thermite

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano-thermite

by vapemaster

5/16/2026 at 12:53:26 AM

Titanium-Boron nano thermite is easily the most SciFi thing I have read today, and apparently Aluminum-Teflon nano thermite is also a thing.

by buildbot

5/15/2026 at 9:14:09 PM

Does the second rusty ball really need to be a rusty ball since it is covered in foil?

by imzadi

5/15/2026 at 9:49:58 PM

Might improve the odds of reaction to have iron on both sides? Would the reaction also work if both balls were covered in foil?

by xnx

5/15/2026 at 9:49:20 PM

Doubles the reaction.

by phyzome

5/16/2026 at 12:19:56 AM

Great laugh at end of micro demo video.

by brucer42

5/15/2026 at 8:03:17 PM

Please try this at home. You all have rusty iron ball laying around, right?

by krunck

5/15/2026 at 8:24:39 PM

It wouldn't be weird for someone in the south of France to have a rusty pétanque ball.

by fer

5/15/2026 at 10:19:43 PM

Now you can be hoisted not just in your own petard, but also in your own pétanque.

by Terr_

5/15/2026 at 9:52:10 PM

This clearly calls for thermite petanque.

by ece

5/16/2026 at 1:15:05 AM

Certainly a ball peen hammer that could be encouraged to go rusty for scientific purposes. I wonder if it would work well enough striking a sheet of aluminum foil on a hard flat surface?

by gorgoiler

5/15/2026 at 8:41:03 PM

Hammer faces would work (def wear goggles!!!). Hit the face of the disposable one with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and salt and wait an hour.

by jcims

5/15/2026 at 8:25:28 PM

Joining the thread to see where iron balls can be sourced.

Some vendor on AliExpress? Those Lucky Iron Fish?

by xattt

5/15/2026 at 8:37:04 PM

I'd guess exact form wouldn't matter. Wrap a hammer in foil and beat up something rusty.

by lstodd

5/15/2026 at 8:51:03 PM

This might work with old iron dumbbells (or modern iron kettle balls if left unpainted). Your gym might hate you for it though.

by dgacmu

5/15/2026 at 9:40:39 PM

Cast iron pan left outside for a day or two.

by mhb

5/15/2026 at 9:29:50 PM

Does the ball need to be iron? Can we just take a 3d printed sphere, paint it with glue ,roll it around in a bucket of rust and then smash?

by mrnotcrazy

5/15/2026 at 11:26:20 PM

I would guess you need something rigid and dense to generate enough pressure, though I don’t know if that rules out your suggestion. It does not have to be a ball.

by mannykannot

5/16/2026 at 7:28:50 AM

[dead]

by warumdarum