In the joining of railway tracks, iron oxide is made to react with

[amp_mcq option1=”Aluminium” option2=”Zinc” option3=”Copper” option4=”Tin” correct=”option1″]

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UPSC CDS-2 – 2022

In the joining of railway tracks, iron oxide (rust) is made to react with Aluminium powder. This reaction is the basis of thermite welding.

– The thermite reaction involves the reduction of a metal oxide by a more reactive metal, producing a large amount of heat and molten metal.
– The specific reaction used for rail welding is between iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) and aluminium (Al): 2Al + Fe₂O₃ → Al₂O₃ + 2Fe + Heat.
– The molten iron produced at high temperature fills the gap between the rails, creating a weld.

The thermite process was discovered by Hans Goldschmidt in 1895 and is still used for various welding applications, particularly where electric welding is difficult or impractical, such as railway tracks.

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