Aluminothermy

Aluminothermy is a chemical process that uses aluminum as a powerful reducing agent to extract metals from their oxides. In this reaction, aluminum reacts with metal oxides, releasing a significant amount of heat and producing molten metal and aluminum oxide. This process requires an initial energy input to start, often achieved by a small initiation charge. It's commonly used to produce high-purity metals like chromium, manganese, and sometimes in welding. Essentially, aluminum's high reactivity drives the reduction, making aluminothermy an efficient way to obtain certain metals without melting the ore itself.