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High-Performance Blades Sharing ideas for getting the most out of our steel.

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  #1  
Old 09-27-2006, 01:58 PM
Jerry Bennett Jerry Bennett is offline
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This is what a 9lb thermte run looks like

Hello smelters, melters and exothermic maniacs.
I've been asked to post a sample of one of my experiments in making custom alloy steel using thermite.

This was a while ago and since then, I have tweaked and refined my process. This was actually a partial failure, as the crucible gave out and some of the molten iron went through the side and landed in the hot charcoal fire below.

The ground was damp, so I came up with this little self contained system of an ash filled barrel half with a double tuyere fed fire to keep the "catch" crucible hot. this allows the secondary off gassing as the iron uptakes the alloy chemicals.
Anyway, I now use a single crucible with very different refractory. This iron/steel was sent to 2 labs, and come to find out the furnace cement has a lot of copper, sulpher and phosphorus. All enemies of steel. I'll post a little later on my t-mite process, version 1.6 if there is an interest. It's really not any more dangerous than most other conventional foundry process. Video hosting courtesy of Brent Finigan. Thanks Brent.
http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...gAnch=imgAnch1
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  #2  
Old 09-27-2006, 02:50 PM
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B.Finnigan B.Finnigan is offline
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Thanks for posting the video Jerry! Thermite runs are just like rocket launches, even when they go bad it is still cool to watch. A NASA launch technician would refer to that as an "anomaly". Anomaly is just another word for "it just #@&*ing blew up!"
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Old 09-27-2006, 03:00 PM
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Mike Turner Mike Turner is offline
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Very cool Jerry thanks for sharing, do you have pics of your set up before you light it off so us newbies can get a better idea?

Mike
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  #4  
Old 09-27-2006, 04:23 PM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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Quote:
... if there is an interest...
You must be kidding! Of course this group wants to see fire and molten metal!!

Give us MORE!!


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God bless Texas! Now let's secede!!
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  #5  
Old 09-27-2006, 04:31 PM
Jerry Bennett Jerry Bennett is offline
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Here is reference thread to the same run. http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...highlight=hull

here is a photo copy of my note book from the era. You MUST remember that the furnace cement will withstand the temps, but will impart all kinds of crappage to the steel. use it as secondary, or backup insulation. Use magnesium oxide as the primary liner to the crucible. These notes are for reference only. Sorry about the cruddy handwriting. You might want to blow it up to make it more clear. I am having difficulty posting clear enough pics on this board. Jerry
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File Type: jpg mad smelter's notes.JPG (54.4 KB, 44 views)
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  #6  
Old 09-27-2006, 04:35 PM
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B.Finnigan B.Finnigan is offline
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Jerry did you have any steel analyzed that came from using charcoal and ash as refractory? I think you may have mentioned it many months ago but I don't remember.
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  #7  
Old 09-27-2006, 04:42 PM
Jerry Bennett Jerry Bennett is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B.Finnigan
Jerry did you have any steel analyzed that came from using charcoal and ash as refractory? I think you may have mentioned it many months ago but I don't remember.
Yes I did.
The ash worked well, but unfortunately, had a significant amount of phsphorus.
Wood ash would work great as a secondary insulation. So far the magnesium oxide is one of the only things you can use to touch the molten steel. It is rated at 5000F. A large thermite run can spike to 6000F and beyond. The actual flame is well over 7000F and close to 8000F, were fusion temps begin! Thats why you see the insawool lined chimney, dripping and glowing white. It melts insa wool like cotton candy in the rain
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:12 PM
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Mike Turner Mike Turner is offline
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Jerry,

This stuff is great. Got anymore vid or pics of melting and fire?

Hey Brent I think this should be in one of them sticky's

Mike
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  #9  
Old 09-29-2006, 01:06 AM
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B.Finnigan B.Finnigan is offline
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Here are some photo's from my thermite charges. It is slightly different then what Jerry is using but it will give you an idea of how to set one up.

First charge:
http://groups.msn.com/Brentscustomkn...oto&PhotoID=83

Second charge:
http://groups.msn.com/Brentscustomkn...to&PhotoID=112

Last edited by B.Finnigan; 09-29-2006 at 01:11 AM.
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  #10  
Old 09-29-2006, 03:44 AM
Jerry Bennett Jerry Bennett is offline
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I've gone underground

Here is a recent run. I think the charge was 6 to 7 pounds, and yeilded a 2 1/2 pound ingot. It was a 2 crucible design, with the bottom crucible fastened to the top with a gasket of clay. I dug a hole in the ground and started a charcoal fire in the bottom to pre heat the silicon carbide crucible. I had a pinch of white cast iron and niobium in the Si crucible. Put the whole thing in the hole and packed wood ash around it.

It worked, but like a doofus, I forgot to protect the niobium from oxidation, so only a little got in. Niobium, (Columbium), is a micro alloying ingrediant anyway.

Some charcoal got into the ingot from the refractory also, but that is easy to fix. Anyway, I have come up with a self contained design, that uses the "underground" environ. My crucible has gone from a double, to a single, "compound" crucible.
More later. Jerry
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File Type: jpg underground.JPG (35.6 KB, 29 views)
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  #11  
Old 09-29-2006, 03:54 AM
Jerry Bennett Jerry Bennett is offline
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Here is the ingot from the run. I polished the top and etched it, (triangle area), to take peek at it with the macro scope. The niobium seems to refine the normaly coarse structure of ingots.
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File Type: jpg thermite lump.JPG (40.3 KB, 54 views)
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