Aluminothermic reaction

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Aluminothermic reactions are exothermic chemical reactions using aluminium as the reducing agent at high temperature. The most prominent example is the thermite reaction.

eg: Fe₂O₃ + 2Al = 2Fe + Al₂O₃ + Heat

A common use of this reaction is the welding of rail tracks on-site, useful for complex installations or local repairs that cannot be done using continuously welded rail. Another common use is the welding of copper cables (wire) for use in direct burial (grounding/earthing) applications. It is still the only type of electrical connection recognized by the IEEE (IEEE, Std 80-2001) as continuous un-spliced cable.

[edit] See also

• Thermic reaction