Monday, August 22, 2016

Aluminum Powder used in alloys and fireworks!

Aluminum powder is used in the production of many types of explosives and fireworks. It is also employed in the manufacturing of certain types of electronics. Powdered aluminum is included in many paints and sealants. Certain products designed to carry electrical current such as solar cells, are also often made using aluminum powder.

The most spectacular uses of aluminum powder take advantage of its ability to produce spectacularly exothermic oxidation 0 reduction reactions. Aluminum can be mixed with a metal oxide, and the resulting powder will burn brilliantly and release a tremendous amount of energy in a very short period of time. This chemical reaction has been used to produce flash powder, in which aluminum and potassium perchlorate react vigorously together to produce a band and a flash. Iron mixed, form thermite, which produces a great deal of light and a tremendous amount of heat , which is useful in many industrial processes.

Fireworks and explosives commonly take advantage of the properties of aluminum powder. Explosives manufactured with aluminum are easier to handle safely than are many other varieties. Fireworks based on aluminum powder make use of its highly energetic but predictable behavior by mixing aluminum compounds with other chemicals to produce spectacular and varied effects.

Rocket fuel is often made with aluminum and many solid rocket fuels are base on chemical reations involving this metal. In fact, this type of fuel was used to power the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle. Aluminum powder can also be used as an additive to liquid rocket fuels.

Aluminum powder can be used in metallurgy as well. Some alloys are created using aluminum typically by the addition of powder to a molten metal.

Who Knew!

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