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Grinding operation accident
Posted by David Hardy · 1 August 2006 05:08 PM
For those of us who tinker with metal, here's a report of an unusual grinding accident. Guy is grinding metal when he's partially enveloped in a fireball of exceptional heat (deep 2d degree burns). Theory is that iron oxide from grinding iron mixed with aluminum from prior grinding to make a form of thermite. (I suspect it was more of a thermite *dust* explosion, as a pile of thermite wouldn't do up that quickly).
2 Comments
Exclamation points! Are the new! Hotness!
Iron oxide (rust) mixed with Aluminum finely ground does indeed produce thermite! used in welding rods!It melts metal to weld so you can guess how hot it gets.We had a model rocket fuel we made from Zinc and Aluminum as well! Learned that when i was 12 years old from a chem. book in my 7th grd science class! They really don't put things like that in 7th grd science books anymore! But you can see how he may have almost blew himself up! freak accident but possible!
Thor