Thermite is a pyrotechnic composition of metal powder and metal oxide that undergoes an intense exothermic reduction-oxidation reaction when ignited, producing a burst of localized heat rather than an explosion. The chemist Hans Goldschmidt discovered the reaction in 1893 and patented the practical process, sometimes called the Goldschmidt process, in 1895; its first commercial application welded tram tracks in Essen, Germany, in 1899, and thermite welding remains the main civilian use today, particularly for joining railway tracks. Thermite mixtures also saw incendiary use in bombs and grenades by both German and Allied forces during the Second World War.
Facts
SignificanceUsed mainly for thermite welding, particularly of railway tracks, and also in metal refining, disabling munitions and incendiary weapons. 1 Connections
In Field
Source Thermite, Wikipedia
Sources
1. Thermite, Wikipedia
History
The thermite (German: Thermit) reaction was discovered in 1893 and filed for patent in 1895 by German chemist Hans Goldschmidt.
Lead section, paragraph 3
Today, thermite is used mainly for thermite welding, particularly for welding together railway tracks.
In Field: Metallurgical Engineering, Categories
Welding
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