Vee3, I dont understand the application of the brass tube. Does it fit over the bit?
Greenled: That is something i should look into. My courses were blogged with many other things this semester, and i didnt really have time to fit in a chem lab. I could ask my chem prof, as he is also the lab instructor, but he seems to like me less for not taking the lab the same semester as the lecture.
Harry: Thank you for the link. That is what i was looking for.
On some other points:
I have burned aluminum foil completely in an o2 rich enviroment (i ignited it with a oxy/acetylene torch with low flow pressure) This could have been hot enough for the foil to melt, turning into a liquid, and take up a larger surface area.
Another option should be aluminum wool, if i could find it. I should be able to create very high temperatures in aluminum foil with electrical discharge.
I remember that i did learn basic things, that i have to brush up on to figure out how much power must be put through a wire to increase it's temperature. However, i suspect that if i can heat the aluminum to a hot enough temperature by shorting a powerful battery, resulting in the melting temperature, the wire should melt and have the same effect as the foil.
I do know that Al203 is easy to get, but it'd be neat having enough, that i personally made (in a fun way), to fill up a blasting cabinent.
The initial heat created in the secondary surface oxidization (if it occurs), plus the heat from the power of the battery may be enough to cause the aluminum to melt.
I supose if i put a high enough current through it, the aluminum would vaporize. That should do it for sure.
I just want to remind you, alothough it is probably already at the top of your head when it comes to this topic, is that things burn much faster, at much higher temperatures.
It does vary, i'd assume, on the mechinisims of the reaction. But a good estimate is 5-10 times faster, with a siginificantly higher temperature.
Once i get my oxygen concentrator (ships monday), i will test more. I would test now, but i'm out of sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, which is what i usually use, along with MnO2 as a catalist, to produce O2.
There are still a few thing i need to buy before i even get started with the testing- like various gauges of aluminum wire, a 8 AA cell holder, and accessories that may not have came with the oxygen concentrator (like an "oxygen hose")
Thanks for all the input so far folks, it has greatly increased my motivation to get this up and running. I know i have seemingly tried to shoot down everyone's suggestions, but it's not like that. I just didnt look up all the information i need to know yet, however, i have listed it. Lets face it though, even the simple burning of a wire has a lot of factors that go into it. One thing is a secondary oxidization stage, which may occur when the aluminum oxide, depends upon the thermal expansion. If the thermal expansion is not high enough, it may not occur at all.
Keep the input coming along, please =) It is a great help, and is very much appreciated!