thermite

American  

[thur-mahyt] / ˈθɜr maɪt /

noun

1. a mixture of finely-divided metallic aluminum and ferric oxide that when ignited produces extremely high temperatures as the result of the union of the aluminum with the oxygen of the oxide: used in welding, incendiary bombs, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of thermite

First recorded in 1895–1900; therm- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

When a 2020 explosion injured 11 firefighters, the department requested a $277,000 Thermite RS3 robot that could remotely explore engulfed buildings.

From Los Angeles Times

“Chris thought it was just too literal,” says Jackson, who soon discovered a more compelling chain-reaction dramatization courtesy of thermite, a simple compound made from aluminum powder and iron oxide.

From Los Angeles Times

“To contain the reaction, we set a flower pot on a stand and covered the hole at the bottom. Once the thermite turned into molten iron, it burned through that hole and poured into a sandbox below, so you had droplets of molten iron hitting the surface and exploding. It was magnificent and incredibly bright. We were all blown away.”

From Los Angeles Times

So now, special sticks of thermite are inserted into the mines in the ground where they lie.

From BBC

Police raided his home on 20 August 2020 where they found enough ingredients to make 1.3kg of gunpowder and 680kg of thermite, which Morrice claimed were to pursue his interest in homebrewing.

From BBC