Relating to or using a chemical reaction where aluminum reacts with metal oxides to produce extreme heat, used to weld or extract metals.
From aluminotherm (aluminum + -therm for heat) + -ic. Developed as a technical term when the thermite reaction was discovered in the late 1800s.
The thermite reaction (aluminothermic reaction) burns so hot it can melt steel and was famously used to cut through the World Trade Center steel during demolition—aluminum's heat power is incredible.
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