Tracer
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Lota Questions (Related to Ferro Thermite)
I just have allot of general questions really...
1. When Magnesium oxidizes in the air does that have a detrimental effect to its ability to burn? If so, and I think so, how bad? Can this be
prevented? Is the oxidization much worse if it is in a powdered form? Where can magnesium strips be obtained?
2. How bad is oxidization a problem with aluminum powder? Can the oxidization be prevented? Slowed down?
3. When making Ferric Oxide using the old school method of the iron nail in a bowl of salted water and some DC current, what are some factors that can
fsck the process (eg. PH went up to fast). Why do they happen, and how can they be prevented. Why is chlorine gas formed? Can it be prevented? What is
the best voltage to use? Amperes? It is the positive wire that bubbles more correct? Is this related to the positive wire releasing the Hydrogen and
the negative the Oxygen? Why is the resultant Oxide many colors? Why would you have to heat it till it turns red before it is most usefull?
4. What is the best thing to use when filling down metal to a powder?
5. What is one of the best chemistry books out there for chemistry like I mentioned above?
Really sorry for all the questions, but this should be a one time thing... Anyway im happy to be a new member of your forums and I hope to be here a
while. 
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Blind Angel
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1: yes,MgO the result of magnesium burning, like ash are the result of wood burning and you can't burn wood two time. Well this oxidation can be
prevented by putin the powder in a oxygene free environnement (An air thight container will do). Also it's worst when it's in the powdered
form since the contact surface is bigger, saw dust burn faster than big log. And i don't know where to find Mg stripe.
2) Same as Mg but more rapidly, a lot more rapidly, i think that liming Al actually form more Aluminium oxide than pure Al powder
3) No big factopr can fuck up your reaction i think, except if you try everything to stop it. The chlorine gas is made because you used NaCl which
will form a bit of Chlorine and a bit of Na (which will be converted to NaOH in the water), use another electrolyte if you don't want
Cl<sub>2</sub> to be formed (like NaOH). For the voltage and the ampere i can't help, but i think that more is the better. And yes,
your positive wire is suppose to bubble more, since the reaction involve breaking the water molecule (H<sub>2</sub>O), most of the
O<sup>--</sup> oxidise immediatly the Fe in the anode (negative wire) to create Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and
other oxide (it's the reaction that you want) and the cathode (the positive wire) liberate hydrogen. The resultant oxide as many color since you
get many diferent oxide (Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, FeO...) since the Fe has different oxidation state. Look on this forum
to help or separate the Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>
4) Don't understand you question, maybe you meant turning a metal in powder? Well chemical way are the best but i think that a grinder will do
the job...
5) Look on Polverone's website for good old book, and for more recent i can't help, look on this forum there are many book cited.
[Edited on 4-12-2003 by Blind Angel]
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Mumbles
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1 Magnesium strips can be found at many chemical suppliers. United Nuclear is one. There price is still higher than some others, but its not
horrendous like some of the other items offered. I've seen it sold on e-bay. You'll end up paying more here too.
2 As long as you keep the container sealed, you shouldn't have much of a problem with oxidation. If you want it to stay completely non-reacted,
you'd have to keep it under a nobel gas blanket. N<sub>2</sub> won't work here, as it reacts too.
3 The multiple colors is a result of different compounds and oxidation states. Red, and black are for the most part oxides or hydroxides. The blue
and green colors either come from nail impurity, or other compounds of iron, such as Iron Chloride. On drying in air the Iron Chloride turns to Iron
hydroxide, and probably HCl.
The heating is done to convert all the hydroxides to oxides. It also dehydrates all the water off. Having water in the rust would make it burn very
poorly, if at all.
4 The best way to make a powdered metal, is probably a single replacement, like Blind Angel said. With filing, just file the metal down. Use the
fastest file. To get extremely fine and large surface area, it's good to ball mill the metal powder for a while. A while can be up to a few
weeks depending on metal and particle size. You can just ball mill aluminum foil to get a very fine powder of it. It comes out very very dark.
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Tracer
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Thanks for all of your help, and if anyone wants to add on, that would be great as well.
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