Pumukli - 28-1-2019 at 10:13
I've found this interesting thermit demonstration experiment and uploaded it here for your entertainment. 
(I was searching "aluminum foil activation" on the net while came across this gem.)
Just read it and try - if you have the balls. 
And please report back!
Attachment: rustyballthermite.pdf (155kB)
This file has been downloaded 394 times
[Edited on 28-1-2019 by Pumukli]
DraconicAcid - 28-1-2019 at 21:16
I do that all the time for my students. I went to the metal scrap people and asked them if they had any tekk bearings- they are just the right size.
wg48 - 29-1-2019 at 01:37
I once found some reels of old magnetic tape. I assumed it was coated with a magnetic oxide perhaps an iron oxide. Using pieces of the tape and
aluminium foil I made a thick sandwich of alternative sheets of the tape and foil. I then heated the sandwich slowly hoping to volatilise the plastic
of the tape and leave a thermite mixture that would ignite when it was hot enough. It never did ignite but while it was being heated strongly it made
a succession of pops and crackes which I assumed were small areas of aluminium and oxide that reacted explosively.
I guess the pops and cracks could also have been the sudden release of trapped gases from the decomposition of the plastic.
FeedMe94 - 29-1-2019 at 01:56
Awesome idea , i will give it a try. A friend of mine have some old rusty cannon balls , solid iron
Ubya - 29-1-2019 at 02:54
myst32YT showed it 9 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqXP-yUT_zI
FeedMe94 - 29-1-2019 at 08:35
A bit off topic but i will give it a go if you dont mind
Here where i live , the older guys , every easter make a white paste and use to cover big round pebbles from the beach. Then they throw it to a
downslope and the pebble exploding everytime it hits the road. Any idea what this is ?