Thermite Reaction

Vaughan Merrick                                                                                                  3/28/11

Block 8

Thermite Reaction

Balanced Equation:

Fe₂O₃(s) + 2Al(s) à Al₂O₃(s) +2Fe(aq)

I know that this chemical equation is balanced because Iron, Fe, has 2 on both sides, oxygen, O, has 3 on both sides and Aluminum, Al, has 2 on both sides of the equation. In this reaction, aluminum replaces iron to produce liquid iron and aluminum oxide.  

            The thermite reaction is useful in the molding together of steel sections and also cutting or welding rail tracks.  In order to fix gaps in steel rail tracks, this exothermic reaction can be used to mold the tracks together by having liquid iron melt down into the gap.  Second, in the cutting of rail tracks, the thermite reaction quickly cuts tracks that would otherwise need huge machinery to weld.  Thermite cannot only be used to mold steel tracks together, but also break them apart from each other.  The third use of the thermite reaction is in the disabling of artillery pieces.  This reaction allows militaries to disable an artillery piece without any noisy explosive charge.  This process makes artillery such as guns impossible to fire because the thermite reaction welds the gun shut. 

            Another useful single replacement reaction is the copper silver-nitrate reaction.  This reaction will not strike someone rich, but will produce beautiful silver flakes for a jeweler who is willing to spare a few dollars for pure silver.  In this reaction, copper replaces silver to produce solid silver and copper nitrate.  The balanced equation is:

Cu(s) + 2AgNO₃(aq) à 2Ag(s) + Cu(NO₃)₂ (aq)