On Thu, 7 Feb 2008 23:20:59 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

I just know I'm going to regret this and I apologize ahead of time for
my muddled thinking -- I'm fighting the flue. However, you can make
pretty decxent thermite by mixing roughly equal parts of aluminum and
steel.

No you don't. The thermite reaction consists of a iron oxide oxidiser
which reacts with aluminum and burns it to alumina. The energy
liberated gives you molten iron at white heat. Used for welding, and
in bomblets for incendary cluster bombs, such as the ones used to burn
japanese cities in WWII.

Iron oxide and aluminum give you molten iron and aluminum oxide.

Casady