The thermite reaction

Demonstration
This demonstration shows the highly exothermic reaction between aluminium and iron(III) oxide that produces molten iron. This
is a competition reaction, showing aluminium to be a more reactive metal than iron. A redox reaction takes place.

Lesson organisation
The reaction is violent but safe provided the procedures are followed exactly. Some teachers have had accidents when
performing the procedure outside in a strong breeze; the powders blew into the flame, caught fire and caused burns to the hand
and/or face. Siting the demonstration in a fume cupboard has caused damage to the cupboard.

The method described here is performed on a laboratory bench and produces limited fumes. Do NOT do this demonstration in a
fume cupboard or outdoors. It produces a result within seconds of setting it off because the water cools the iron down very
quickly. A rehearsal is essential if this experiment has not been done before.

There have been occasional reported explosions when using methods similar to this. It is essential not to exceed the stated
quantities and that the demonstrator and students are protected by safety screens.

The bench should be clear of combustible materials and protected with a sheet of hardboard or heat resistant mats. The
demonstrator must have room to move quickly away to a safe distance.

The demonstration takes about 10 minutes to carry out if the apparatus is set up and the solid reagents are weighed in advance.

Apparatus Chemicals
Observers and demonstrator must The quantities given are for
wear eye protection. For the one demonstration
demonstrator this must be goggles Thermite mixture (Note 1):
or a face shield. Aluminium powder (medium
Safety screens grade) (HIGHLY
For one demonstration: FLAMMABLE), 3 g
Filter paper, 11 cm diameter Iron(III) oxide, 9 g
Pipe-clay triangle Igniter (Note 2 and 3):
Tripod Domestic sparkler (16cm
Plastic beaker or thick-walled glass long, sold for indoor use)
beaker (1 dm3) (it must fit between Refer to Health & Safety
the tripod legs) and Technical notes
Sand (see diagram) section below for
Heat resistant mats additional information.
Plastic magnetic retriever or small
bar magnet

Health &Safety and Technical notes

Read our standard health &safety guidance

A face shield or goggles and a laboratory coat (it can become messy at the end) should be worn by the demonstrator. Safety
screens must be used to surround the apparatus. Students should stand further than 4 m from the reaction and wear eye
protection. The thermite reaction can trigger heat or smoke sensors; you cannot do the experiment in a laboratory fitted with
smoke sensors.
Aluminium powder, Al(s), (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE) - see CLEAPSS Hazcard.

Iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3(s) - see CLEAPSS Hazcard.

1 It is important that the iron(III) oxide used in this demonstration is absolutely dry. An hour or so in a warm oven, or heating in
an evaporating dish over a Bunsen flame, should suffice. The oxide should be allowed to cool completely before mixing. The
weighed quantities of iron(III) oxide (9 g) maximum and aluminium powder (3 g) maximum may be thoroughly mixed beforehand
by repeatedly pouring the mixture to-and-fro between two pieces of scrap paper (never stir with a metal spatula), and then stored
for the demonstration in a suitable container labelled ‘Thermite mixture’.

2 The Igniter for the reaction is a domestic sparkler. It should be one for indoor use but need not be hand-held. The sparkler
needs to be longer than 10 cm to ensure there is time to retreat to a safe distance. A 16 cm sparkler length is ideal and the
handle should be cut off using tin snips or pliers. Sparklers longer than 16 cm may become top-heavy. Avoid cutting into excess
explosive; this causes it to crack, and it can fall off dangerously before the demonstrator can retire to a safe distance.

3 Due to the UK Explosives Regulations 2014 alternative igniter mixtures (such as magnesium powder, barium nitrate and
magnesium ribbon) on scales larger than 0.5 g combined weight cannot be used in schools without an Explosives Certificate
issued by the police. Igniter mixtures at or below 0.5 g result in a less reliable ignition, so a sparkler should be used.

The demonstrator may wish (or be persuaded by the audience) to do a repeat demonstration. In this event it is important to keep
the second set of materials well away from the first demonstration site.

Disposal: If the sparkler fails to set off the thermite mixture, dispose of the unreacted mixture by pouring it into dilute (2M)
hydrochloric (1200 cm3) or sulfuric acid (600 cm3) in a beaker in a fume cupboard and leave to stand overnight. You can use 1M
dilute acid but will need to double to volumes of acid used. Filter off the solids and then place in the non-recycling waste and
dilute down the liquid with lots of water.

Procedure

a Fold one 11 cm diameter filter paper into a cone shape.

b Into a 1 dm3 beaker, pour sand until it is two-fifths (2/5) full and then add water until it is four-fifths (4/5) full.

c Cover an area of the bench with several heat-resistant mats and place the beaker in the centre. Set up the equipment as
shown in the diagram above and surround it with safety screens. Add the thermite mixture (see Note 1) to the filter paper cone
sitting in the pipe clay triangle. WARNING Push the filter paper cone into the triangle firmly, so there is no tendency for it to pop
out.

d Insert a domestic sparkler upright into the thermite mixture. 3-4 cm should be buried below the mixture with the rest extended
above the filter paper cone. Light the sparkler with a Bunsen burner flame and retreat to a safe distance behind the safety
screens. A very vigorous reaction should follow, with some sparks flying upwards. The very hot residue containing molten iron
will fall through into the water.
e Once the reaction has stopped, remove the beaker and decant the water into the sink. Retrieve the iron formed with a magnet.
Wash the iron under running water.

Teaching notes
The reaction is: iron(III) oxide + aluminium aluminium oxide + iron

This shows that aluminium is above iron in the reactivity series.

Once underway, the reaction is highly exothermic, rapidly reaching temperatures as high as 2000 oC, well in excess of the
melting point of iron (1535 oC).

The practical use of this reaction is to weld railways lines together and could be mentioned.

The ‘thermite’ mixture is stable until strong heating is applied, hence the need for the domestic sparkler to initiate the reaction.
Some of the igniter mixtures commonly used in the past are now covered by the Explosives Regulations 2014. This means that
no more than 0.5 g of such mixtures can be used unless the school has an Explosives Certificate issued by the police. The
sparkler method is preferred because igniter mixtures on scale of 0.5g or below are less reliable.

Health &Safety checked, August 2016

Credits
This Practical Chemistry resource was developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

This resource has been reviewed and updated with advice from CLEAPSS in response to the UK Explosives Regulations 2014.

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

Website
There are many video clips of thermite reactions on the internet, some are carried out on a scale and in a manner which is
extremely hazardous, so take care which you use to show students.

Page last updated February 2018