While I've never got steel wool to work with a battery, with a ferro rod it goes up quite nice. For that reason, I have some in my larger kits. However, I noticed that one of my batches must have been in a less that perfect pill bottle- it is rusted.

So, my first thought is to replace it, and the bottle. Then I'm thinking, rust... And remind myself that I'm not Blast, no thermite.

Final thought though is, how about working some petroleum jelly into it for storage. Should keep any moisture at bay.

And maybe I'll mix in something like some magnesium or aluminum flake.

So let us know how many fingers you have left at the end of your experiment...

Video! send us video!

Who is the payee on you life insurance,? If you don't have one would you like one??

Maybe the rusty steel wool will work better than the fresh stuff. <shrug>

Several decades ago, while in the automotive body repair business (a.k.a. body shop), we used gas torches for various repair tasks (cutting, brazing, etc.). If memory serves me correctly, the rusted areas were very reactive to the flame, meaning that they would almost explode under the extreme heat. It was quite a scrambling experience, accompanied by XXX rated audio, trying to avoid the hot embers flying all over the place.

Don't give Blast any more ideas.

Blast needs more of a challenge than Thermite... Thermite is easy.

That's the truth. All it takes me is six beers and a trip to Walmart. Of course, the same can be said for anything up to mercury fulminate...that requires a trip to Walmart AND Radioshack.

Unfortunately, the clerk at Radioshack won't sell stuff to me anymore if walk in giggling. Damn his police scanner...

-Blast

Always is tough when your reputation preceeds you!

And you need 6 beers? Hmmm...

I usually just have to touch the business end of a 9V battery to some 0000 steel wool and it starts glowing for me, maybe it's easier because the contacts are close together, so the current between that gap is pretty strong? We've also used 6V lantern batteries, the two spring contacts touch the steel wool, rusty or not, and we have things going. What kind of battery are you using, and how?

The kids in the troop were complaining that at this years Klondike Derby they couldn't use a battery, and had to use the flint/steel, but, they soon found out, as you did, that those sparks get the steel wool going well too. Puzzled that the battery didn't work for you though. We'll get to the bottom of it! Nothing that More Power can't cure!

Being a cheap drunk is nothing to be ashamed of...wait, there's got to be a better way of phrasing that...

-Blast

inexpensive inebriate? Sounds impressive, anyway;-)

I was just trying to forumulate if you just wanted it, or needed it before you purchased your "equipment".

According to DW "wants" = "needs", unless we are talking about me.

As for the beer/boom connection I always want the boom, but the current social situation holds that in check...about six beers worth of check.
The day the local fireworks warehouse stores starts offering free drinks (like Las Vegas casinos) is the day they become very, very rich...

-Blast

"...giggling..."

Real mad bombers don't giggle. At least not 'til right after detonation...

That could be correct, but it also might have another danger.

However, if it is rusty, isn't the steel already oxidized, that is burnt? Anyone help me out, is that right?

I think you might be able to create tinder by ruting steel wool in a sealed environment, like a ziplock. If I recall correctly, steel that is allowed to rust in the absence of oxygen, rusts incompletely, much like wood burned without oxygen becomes charcoal. With the steel that is imcompletely rusted, there is a danger of having a nasty fire when oxygen is allowed into the area. If I had the space, I might try some experiments, but they will have to wait until I move.

Yes, that is correct enough for this level. Rust is the result of iron reacting with oxygen in the presence of water. The amount of oxygen available determines what iron oxide molecules will form. If enough oxygen is present the end result will be the same as if it were burned.

Sealing the steel wool in an oxygen-free ziploc will prevent rust. As for "partially" rusted the steel wool being a better tinder, that doesn't make sense. The un-rusted steel wool is chemically more reactive than steel with even a little bit of rust. Think of unrusted steel as a 17yr old boy...it REALLY wants to react with that cute, redheaded oxygen molecule. But once he does he's blocked (a bit anyway) from going after those twin Swedish exchange-student oxygens...

However, this *might* not be the case with using steel wool in combination with a battery. In this process the steel wool gets hot because electrons are passing through it. The steel has a certain resistance to this flow of electrons and this friction produces heat. If you increase the friction of the elctron flow more heat will be produced. The slightly rusted steel wool probably has a higher friction and so the stuff heats up faster to a higher temperature. I'm just guessing on this, though.

-Blast

Great answer Blast. Ever think about becoming a teacher?

Just think, they could set it all up adjacent to a teaching hospital ER. That way there would be a steady flow of folks for the medico's in training.

Oh, wait a second.....

That is why they put the teaching hospitals where they do now.

One of my responsibilities at work is teaching a week-long chemistry course to engineers. By the end of it the engineers almost seem human...

-Blast

I've tried 9v, 6v, multiple lower voltage cells (series and parallel)- only way I get it to work is with jumper cables. *sighs* Some things just don't work around me, I swear.

Since you were the first one... :P

The rusty stuff got binned. I came to the same conclusion Blast wrote out- rust has lower potential energy. I'm talking about slathering FRESH 0000 steel wool with pj like one might cotton wool, as a vapor and air proof layer to prevent oxidation, and give it that little something extra.

Yeah, this is definitely the way to teach...

I'm really starting to understand Blast's pattern of thought, and that scares the heck out of me!