AIChE hosts Thermite Hot Chocolate

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers, also known as AlChe, hosted “Thermite Hot Chocolate” last Wednesday. Steve Bosomworth, President of AIChE, ran the event to teach participants about thermite. Magnesium was used to ignite the fuel, an iron oxide, which produced a light too bright to safely be viewed by the human eye, so goggles were provided. The process, an exothermic redox reaction, creates a large burst of heat. It was even hot enough to crack the ceramic pot that it was lit in! Unfortunately, heating the hot chocolate with the heat from the reaction was deemed to be unsafe, so snacks and drinks, including hot chocolate, were provided.