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nodrog19
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oops, it was silicon.
"Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil is 98.5% aluminum. The balance is primarily iron and silicon. These are added to give the strength and puncture
resistance obtained only in the alloy used in Reynolds household foil."
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497
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Have a look at this! Production of Al powder down to less than 100 nanometers, the best a mill could do is maybe 5000 nanometers! And the best
part is it is all done in an OTC liquid phase solvent (toluene).
http://www.google.com/patents?id=koIYAAAAEBAJ&printsec=a...
And here's a patent on preparation of the required aluminum hydride:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Pf0FAAAAEBAJ&printsec=a...
The problem is getting the alkali/alkaline hydride... I think most everything else involved is not too hard to find or synth. Maybe buy sodium
(>$50/mol) and react w/ hydrogen? Ugh that sounds like a pain in the ass, there must be an easier way?
Hmm now I can't stop thinking about all the things I would love to try with that super fine Al 
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Picric-A
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If you are looking for mesh filters:
www.inoxia.co.uk sells em quite cheap (in UK)
cant you just put Al foil in a blender then ballmill for 3-4 days then filter it to seperate it?
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panziandi
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I remember reading once on the side of a kitchen foil box that it listed ingredients and among them were manganese, iron, and various others I can not
recall. I assumed that these metals in the alloy were what the grey powder was that resulted from dissolving aluminium foil in NaOH... I suppose for
pyro these impurities don't matter, but if you are using the aluminium for something more demanding...? I have never been able to find a box with the
ingredients listed again (Although I think it may have been Waitrose brand in UK).
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Picric-A
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manganese and iron :O that doesnt sound good
i had better stick to a differen source of Al for powder then
You can buy it from metal work shops for casting, i may have to look into that option...
then grinding with a metal grinder and channeling the powder into a bow to collect ect...
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panziandi
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Perhaps it would be interesting if somebody with the time and resources could analyse aluminium foil for the % composition of Mg, Mn, Fe, etc and post
the details, perhaps comparing to Al of LR grade available cheaply from many lab suppliers (in a powder although not usually the extremely fine dark
grades)
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ScienceSquirrel
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I have made common alum ( potassium aluminium sulphate dodecahydrate ) from a variety of aluminium sources.
The aluminium is dissolved in excess potassium hydroxide solution, filtered and then neutralised with sulphuric acid.
I have used sheet metal from cans, foil and LR grade aluminium powder and I have always had a fine black precipitate left in the alkaline solution.
As a guesstimate I would say that it is a few percent on average, some of it is magnetic while other particles are not.
Very pure aluminum metal is not cheap!
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Panache
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there are some 22,000 known Al alloys/compositions/treatments and counting, something made of aluminum is rarely 100% aluminum. Foil esp. so,
generally containing the above mentioned stuff. Luckily here in Australia the land of the free and rational it is illegal to sell Al powder but
everyone seems to sell it! Liquid N2 is cheap ($59.00 for 1-60L, price same regardless of how much lol, my dewar is only 15L but i'm always tempted
to order 60L and make a huge batch o super-fino ice-cream) Can you pulverize al to powder after cooling it?
Actually maybe there are 22,000 types of thread profiles, and 2200 known al alloys, i always mix those two up. The alloys one is from a Mat Scientist
speciailising in Al and Mg alloys, he's been researching al alloys for 40 years so i'd believe that one, the thread number is from my father, and it
made up part of his rant as to why the British are stupid, he would quote the number of thread the british had developed, so that maybe wrong, he's
german and prone to exaggerate.
Overall this post provided very little real help or information, apologies for that!!
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497
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| Quote: |
cant you just put Al foil in a blender then ballmill for 3-4 days then filter it to seperate it? |
Sure you can... this has been discussed time and time again. No one will ever get aluminum powder out of a mill that is anywhere near the
reactivity and power of precipitated 100 nanometer Al (not to mention an amateur mill!). That is why I think it would be better to work on finding a
way to semi economically produce a precipitated Al powder rather than trying to adapt/improve a process that has already been optimized to its full
potential (milling). Just my opinion.
What are you worried about a % or two of iron? You realize there would probably be at least that much added by milling in with steel media? And BTW
there is no need to pregrind the foil prior to ball milling, just tear it in strips. Let the mill do the work..
Also, unless you use a very low ratio of Al:steel media (eg <1:20) you will probably get a pretty low quality product. The problem with this is
that it required a very large mill to produce much Al powder at once. For example a 5 gallon mill filled with 100 pounds of 5/8" steel media might
give you at most 5 pounds of 50-200 mesh powder after a few days of milling. Then you have to separate that 100 pounds of steel out...
[Edited on 10-9-2008 by 497]
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grndpndr
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I have perhaps 30lbs of railroad themite welding material its utilized by RR track crews using forms to weld the ends of the ribbon type rails,
filling with the thermite comp and igniting the thermite, forms apparently helping contain the heat. The welding thermite appears to consist of black
Iron oxides small lumps of some type of nonmagnetic alloy/flux? material and of course a large % of coarse AL.Seperating the AL/Iron is relativelty
straigtforward w/magnets but time consuming as it requires several passes with magnet to ensure Iron partcles arent included in the AL powder, the
larger(nonmagnetc) golden hue globles of very hard flux/steel alloy ?material are removed by hand so even at that point of seperation its a time
consuming process.For what I woud put at 100-150 mesh sperical being my guess usng a low powered magnifyng glass and 'feel'.
Cetainly not a pyro grade as it is but what other possibilitys could one see for this material? i hate to simply trash this much
thermite based welding material given the flaked black Iron oxide/AL content material that cost $0.Rather than a ball mill has anyone tried a
vibratory relading case cleaner with steel shot/etc as the AL reducing agent? The vibratory reloading case prep machines are intended to operate for
extended periods if needed .
Assuming this material turns out to be 100-150mesh sperical AL as is would it be suitable as is fuel for small charges (4-5 kilos) Binarys etc
25/75- AL powder as fuel/ appropriate oxidizer and substantial booster
w/o further reducing w/ball mill or eqiuvalent?The Reducing experient wouldnt cost much as the vibratory case cleaner is on hand as is the partialy
reduced AL powder.Ball Bearings of a suitable size could also quite likely be scrounged but for curiosity sake if anyone thinks this is viable what
size steel bearings would you use?Bearings are all that are required
to answer the question unless someone has tried it before and can either confirm success or save me some time not proceeding,though a couple doubts
would'nt dissuade. Any thoughts -suggestions as to reducing AL other possibilitys
for material much appreciated However.
[Edited on 14-9-2008 by grndpndr]
[Edited on 14-9-2008 by grndpndr]
[Edited on 14-9-2008 by grndpndr]
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