It will be observed that the thermit process is essentially like the
ordinary blast furnace process of smelting iron and other metals except
that aluminum is used instead of carbon to take the oxygen away from the
metal in the ore. This has an advantage in case carbon-free metals are
desired and the process is used for producing manganese, tungsten,
titanium, molybdenum, vanadium and their allows with iron and copper.
During the war thermit found a new and terrible employment, as it was
used by the airmen for setting buildings on fire and exploding
ammunition dumps. The German incendiary bombs consisted of a perforated
steel nose-piece, a tail to keep it falling straight and a cylindrical
body which contained a tube of thermit packed around with mineral wax
containing potassium perchlorate. The fuse was ignited as the missile
was released and the thermit, as it heated up, melted the wax and
allowed it to flow out together with the liquid iron through the holes
in the nose-piece. The American incendiary bombs were of a still more
malignant type.
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