Rail thermite welding material

Rail thermite welding material also known as exothermic welding or aluminothermic welding, is a process that uses the intense heat generated from a chemical reaction to weld railroad tracks together. The material used in this process is a thermite composition, which typically includes:

Aluminum Powder: This is the fuel for the reaction. Aluminum is a highly reactive metal that, when finely powdered, reacts exothermically with metal oxides.

Iron(III) Oxide (Fe2O3): This serves as the oxidizer in the reaction. When combined with aluminum powder, it reacts to produce molten iron and aluminum oxide, along with a great deal of heat.

The basic chemical reaction in thermite welding is as follows:
[ Fe_2O_3 + 2 Al \rightarrow 2 Fe + Al_2O_3 + Heat ]
This reaction is known as a reduction-oxidation reaction (redox reaction) where aluminum reduces the iron oxide to iron, and in doing so, gets oxidized to aluminum oxide. The reaction is highly exothermic, meaning it releases a significant amount of heat, enough to melt the iron.
In the context of rail welding, the molten iron produced by the thermite reaction is what fuses the rail ends together. The process involves the following steps:

Preparation: The ends of the rails to be joined are cleaned and aligned. A mold, known as a crucible, is placed around the joint to contain the molten iron.

Ignition: The thermite mixture is placed in the crucible and ignited, usually with a flammable primer or a sparkler-like igniter.

Reaction: The thermite mixture reacts, producing molten iron which flows into the gap between the rail ends.

Solidification: The molten iron solidifies to form a solid weld, fusing the rail ends together.

Finishing: After cooling, excess material is removed, and the weld is ground down to ensure a smooth, continuous rail surface.

Thermite welding is often preferred for rail applications because it produces a high-quality weld that is strong and durable, capable of withstanding the heavy loads and stresses associated with rail traffic. It also has the advantage of being portable and relatively easy to perform in the field, which is essential for repairing and maintaining railway tracks.

We can make mould to weld below steel rails:

USAGE OF RAILS	TYPE OF RAILS	STANDARD
Rail for Railway	43 kg/m rail, 50 kg/m rail, 60 kg/m rail, 75kg/m rail, 60N rail, 75N rail	TB/T2344-2012, TB/T3276-2011
	P50 rail/R50 rail, P65 rail/R65 rail, RP60E1	GOST-R51685, GOST R51054-2014
	S49 rail, UIC54 rail, UIC60 rail	UIC860
	JIS50N rail, JIS60 rail	JIS E1101
	AS50 rail, AS60 rail, AS68 rail	AS1085, BHP RT STD
	90RA rail, 100RE rail, 115RE rail, 132RE rail, 136RE rail	AREMA
	TR45 rail, TR50 rail, TR57 rail, TR68 rail	ASTM A759
	BS75A rail, BS90A rail, BS100A rail	BS11 STANDARD
	ISCOR 48 rail, ISCOR 57 rail	UIC860 produce standard
	45E1, 49E1 rail, 50E2 rail, 54E1 rail, 60E1 rail, 60E2 rail	EN 13674-1, EN13674-4
Switch Rail	50AT1 rail, 60AT1 rail, 60AT2 rail, 60TY1 rail	TB/T3109-2013
Crane Rail	A45, A55, A65, A75, A100, A120, A150	DIN536
	QU70 rail/KP70 rail, QU80 rail/KP80 rail, QU100 rail/KP100 rail, QU120 rail/KP100 rail, CR175 rail	YB/T5055-2014/GOST53866-2010 ASTM A759-2000
Grooved Rail	59R2 rail, 60R2 rail	EN 14811:2006
Railway construction tools	Movable rail flash welding machine, Rail flash butt welding machine

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