# Thermite + Cat substrate .. Crazy idea?



## jsargent (Sep 3, 2010)

Anyone ever think about taking a cheap thermite mixture, like thermite made with gypsum from sheetrock, and mixing it directly with crushed cat convertor material? It should get hot enough to melt the pgms which should gravitate to bottom of the mass.

Question is what the heck would one use to contain the thermitic reaction? A cone shaped pit in refractory sand?

I suppose too the price of the powdered aluminum might exceed the value of the collected PGM's, depending on how much would be needed.

Just more crazy talk eh?


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## Barren Realms 007 (Sep 3, 2010)

How are you going to make thermite out of gypsum? 

All it is is processed paper pulp! 

How do you make thermite out of something used as a fire barrier in construction?


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## Harold_V (Sep 3, 2010)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> How are you going to make thermite out of gypsum?
> 
> All it is is processed paper pulp!


I agree with your question, but gypsum is NOT processed paper pulp.

Harold


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## Irons (Sep 3, 2010)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> How are you going to make thermite out of gypsum?
> 
> All it is is processed paper pulp!
> 
> How do you make thermite out of something used as a fire barrier in construction?



Gypsum is Calcium Sulfate. It does work, and in the trade, it's known as Alice mix. I've used it on a large number of occasions, but I don't think it will get hot enough to melt the substrate.


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## Lou (Sep 3, 2010)

And all the reeking sulfur will ruin the PGMs.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Sep 3, 2010)

Harold_V said:


> Barren Realms 007 said:
> 
> 
> > How are you going to make thermite out of gypsum?
> ...



True it isn't just paper pulp but waste paper turned to pulp is one of the ingredients in the process, along with Calcium Sulfate as Irons said. 

We have a mfg. plant here in our town that I worked on building in the early 70's.


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## jsargent (Sep 3, 2010)

Lou said:


> And all the reeking sulfur will ruin the PGMs.



Okay use iron oxide instead. Thermite reactions can reach 2500C, well above the melt temps of cordierite at 1200C and platinum at 1768C. 

In theory this could work I think unless I'm missing something.


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## jsargent (Sep 3, 2010)

Irons said:


> Barren Realms 007 said:
> 
> 
> > How are you going to make thermite out of gypsum?
> ...



If the substrate is cordierite, it should melt. I've never worked with thermite, as you have. You think it might work?


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## jsargent (Sep 3, 2010)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> Harold_V said:
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> 
> > Barren Realms 007 said:
> ...


 Nevertheless, you can crush the sheetrock and sift out the paper and make a poor man's thermite. Or use some other reactant like iron oxide.


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## Harold_V (Sep 3, 2010)

Barren Realms 007 said:



> Harold_V said:
> 
> 
> > Barren Realms 007 said:
> ...


There's a considerable difference between gypsum and drywall. I expect you're talking about making drywall---which contains gypsum. 

Harold


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## Barren Realms 007 (Sep 3, 2010)

Harold_V said:


> Barren Realms 007 said:
> 
> 
> > Harold_V said:
> ...



Yes sir I will go along with that 100%, you are correct.

This was the original statement.


> like thermite made with gypsum from sheetrock



Maybe if were worded this way I would not have questioned it.

Like thermite made from gypsum, same product that sheetrock is made out of.


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## Palladium (Sep 3, 2010)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/26181311/Thermite-Reactions

Roll Tide  8)


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## jsargent (Sep 3, 2010)

Palladium said:


> http://www.scribd.com/doc/26181311/Thermite-Reactions
> 
> Roll Tide  8)



Now that's cool! All kinds of suprising oxides will react in a thermitic manner with aluminum powder... even silica sand, given the right boost. Magnetite and hematite too of course. Maybe this could be a way to work platinum-containing black sands? Powder some of the black sand and blond sand and mix with aluminum powder and let 'er rip.


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## Palladium (Sep 4, 2010)

And their is video to. http://www.amazingrust.com/experiments/how_to/Thermite_pics-videos.html


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## jsargent (Sep 4, 2010)

Palladium said:


> And their is video to. http://www.amazingrust.com/experiments/how_to/Thermite_pics-videos.html


I like the description of this one... "Using extra fine Copper Oxide powder, the 100 gram thermite reaction proceeds very violently and explosively, vaporizing much of the remains, starting grass fires, and pushing observers back with a shockwave." 8)


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