Aluminum Powder?

[cannon freak]

Any ideas on how to turn aluminum foil into a fine powder. If your wondering this is for use in a small rocket.

I was thinking of making a small ball mill.

[jrrdw]

Paper shreader maby?

[dragon finder]

first off ANY powderd metal has the potential to explode

any ways a ball mill wont work (i think) you could just by it from a chemical supply or sit down and watch a movie with a chunk of aluminum and a file.

[frankrede]

powdered metal explodes?Explain please.
I know they put in titanium in fireworks to add effects.

[jrrdw]

Has to be the rite cercumstances to explode, rite amount of air, heat, fuel ect....

you need to join http://www.skyhighrockets.com/forums/ it's all about rockets.

[cannon freak]

The powdered metal can react with air if it is fine enough, same if comes into contact with water . I can't buy it from any supply stores, at least not cheaply. I may be able to get a big block of aluminum so I may jest get out the sander, I don't want to use a grinder for fear of ignition and I was also thinking of encasing it in some clear plastic leading to a bin for collection. I also plan to be wearing a respirator specifically designed for small metallic particles.

[Benny]

Naa dont do that, get alluminium foil and put it in a cofee grinder.
Works great.

[singularity]

get some aluminium stock (you know the bars they sell) and sand it with really fine sand paper then scoop up the dust and you got aluninum powder

[spudmonkey]

if what irwinner said does work and you chose to do that ill be happy to send you some 1200 grit sand paper if you want

[beebs111]

put the al foil in a coffe grinder for a while, then run it thru a ball mill

[dragon finder]

HEY looky here it's united nuclear me favorite place

http://unitednuclear.com/chem.htm

the chemical section and look at the first product

(every thing is legal)

[jrrdw]

Hey Dragon, i've seen that site, good prices untill you add the shipping, but that allso depends on what your getting and the quanity/weight. As for use 1200 grit sandpaper, you will be sanding for a year just to come up with enough to build 1 engine! By the time you come up with everything you need to make a engine you could just buy them cheeper. Tower Hobbies sells reuseable engines, they are pretty cool, addventuly, they will save you money in the long run.

[mark.f]

Just get an aluminum rod and a file. Sandpaper will wear off abrasive and mix it in with the aluminum powder. Just remember that aluminum is a soft metal, so you need to card out the pins frequently. Don't chalk the file beforehand, because then you'll get chalk in the powder.

Me and my buddy just get aluminum power from his dad. He's a retired geologist and has access to a bunch of chemical plants. We also got a jar of potassium perchlorate from him last year.

[cannon freak]

Unfortunately I cannot order from united nuclear because they do not ship to Canada.

As for the coffee grinder my friend had suggested that as well, I just thought that even though the metal is "soft"compared to other metals it would still ruin the blades, but I will try it now.

For the sand paper I was thinking of taking an electric palm sander and just leaving it on while resting on the metal block.

I think that I will try beebs111's Idea first, putting in the coffee grinder and then in a ball mill, and then use the ball mill as a mixing station for the chemicals.

On a little side note any ideas on a good ideas on a good substance (CHEAP) to bind the propellant together very densely.

[beebs111]

, and then use the ball mill as a mixing station for the chemicals.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

never mix oxidizers and fuels in a ball mill, i dont know what you are using as an oxidizer, but aluminum is extremely sensitive.