THERMIT

also spelled Thermite, powdered mixture used in incendiary bombs, in the reduction of metals from their oxides, and as a source of heat in welding iron and steel and in foundry work. The powder consists of aluminum and the oxide of a metal such as iron. When ignited or heated, it gives off an enormous amount of heat as a result of the chemical combination of the aluminum with the oxygen of the oxide. The reaction temperature is estimated to be about 2,400 C (4,400 F). Thermit was discovered by a German chemist, Hans Goldschmidt, in 1895. A U.S. patent granted in 1897 related principally to the use of aluminum as a reducing agent for producing metals free of carbon. The term is a registered trade name of Thermex Metallurgical Inc. The metal formed in the process is carbon-free but usually contains small amounts of aluminum.