[Anarchistkid (OP)]

I'm trying to make fine aluminum powder. I found that if i mix aluminum foil with any liquid plumber it makes the aluminum hard and brittle as well as producing a lot of hydrogen gas. If i file this "treated" foil down into a powder is it the same as aluminum powder?

[Anarchistkid (OP)]

I think i worded that kinda weird what i'm trying to say is could i mix this with iron oxide to make thermite instead of going and filing aluminum sheets or buying powder?
 

[lightarrow]

I'm trying to make fine aluminum powder. I found that if i mix aluminum foil with any liquid plumber it makes the aluminum hard and brittle as well as producing a lot of hydrogen gas. If i file this "treated" foil down into a powder is it the same as aluminum powder?

If the plumber is NaOH or however a strong basis as usually is (but not always), then, with Al, you get Al(OH)₃, NaAlO₂, Al₂O₃; all compounds of aluminum, so, not aluminum anymore and so useless for thermite.

[Anarchistkid (OP)]

o ok thanks

[JimBob]

Thermite is available commercially.

[lightarrow]

Thermite is available commercially.

You lucky american!  []

[JimBob]

Thermite is available commercially.

You lucky american!  []

You do need a valid purpose and a special license to get it, but it is available.

[Basement_Chemist]

Im Warning everyone who uses it for fun and games... yes i want to make it but im only 17 and cant buy the materials needed. You can buy Al powder at paint shops ( why they sell it i dont know ) the Iorn Oxide ( aka RUST ) can be easily made by taking 2 iorn rods and hooking one up to a positive side of a car battery or car battery charger and the other to the negitive and place them in salt water for numerous hours. then take a filter and run the rust infested water through it ( how u hold the filter up is up to you ) then set the black mucky rust under a hot lamp for about 24 hrs till it all turns to a powdery brown rust.

I will not tell you how to make thermite however after you do make it get a magnesium strip for a fuse.... a long strip this burns at very high temp because it is extreamly hard to get thermite burning.. However i do not recomend doing this on ur friends or anyone for the matter the temp of thermite reaches at least 4000 degress wich will burn through u

[science_freak101]

I used to powder my aluminum -sliced up soda cans in a ballmill we used for crushing stones. A lot of iron impurities would mix with the aluminum powder. I used a stainless steel mini-pulverizer with better results but it can only do a 100 grams or so at a time. I found some sites online, the most consistent quality was newbielink:http://www.ushalogens.com [nonactive] or  newbielink:http://ushalogens.org/ [nonactive] browse through their chemicals pages for the aluminum and thermite stuff.  [O8)]
We used to mix the aluminum powder with magnetite we sluiced and panned from the rivers. Some of the higher chromite magnetites gave us almost a stainless steel type yield.

[SorryDnoodle]

I would't bother trying to make aluminum by your self unless you got either a good workshop or some chemistry experience, I wager that dissolving aluminum sulfate in water and just adding magnesium strips will get you some aluminum, but really if you need large amounts just buy it off ebay along with the rust you need.

Word of advice, try everything in small portions and use a magnesium ribbon to start it from a good enough distance, and be sure that the surrounding area is clear of things capable of burning, and I mean anything.

This stuff is hot, it will turn sand to glass and rock to lava, it will basically melt anything you've got lying around, be smart, be safe.'

[kingpanel]

It is difficult to finely divide fine powder without special equipment. Attempting to crush the ball mill makes it possible to flatten the particles on the flakes. This increases reactivity and burns faster.