Any good uses for bulk iron oxide (rust)...?

[JAndrew]

HMEM,

I now have at my disposal 3 dumpsters full of rust ranging from small chips to dust particle size. I'm wondering if anyone has any creative uses for it?

From what I understand it could be smelted back to useable iron but that's a bit beyond the scope of my abilities. I have a manager who claims he uses a bucket full every so often to fertilize his garden.

Any other uses of interest...?

Thanks in advance.
-J.Andrew

 

[bb218]

How much you want for it ?

 

[rythmnbls]

Mix it with Aluminium powder and make thermite, it can be useful for welding in certain situations.

Regards.

Steve.

 

[Nerdz]

Its used extensively in Pyrotechnics as well. The Iron Oxide adds sparks to the flames. Ive read once that you might be able to cast using thermite, but then Powdered Aluminum adds expense.

With that said, If you have 3 dumpsters full I wouldnt mind buying some off of you. With THAT said, Im sure if you have that much Iron Oxide you can bulk sell on Ebay. Iron Oxide is pretty inert, it just stains stuff if its fine enough.

 

[CherokeeJ]

It's also used as a dye for concrete, and as a burn-rate catalyst in composite rocket propellants.

 

[JAndrew]

BB218, Nerdz,

I'd be hesitant to try and sell it as it's not very pure. I spent three days shoveling the stuff out of the bottom of a very large steam boiler on hands and knees with a foxtail broom and 5 gallon buckets. The rust itself rains down off of the boiler tubes. In my toils I swept up a good deal of impurities including but not limited to: ceramic coating chips, welding slag, dirt, wire, trace amounts of ammonium nitrate, etc. The stuff from the exhaust stack end is pretty clean and finer. I suppose it's plenty clean enough to burn as thermite or rocket fuel though.

PM me if you really, really want some but otherwise I think it's probably doomed to the recyclers.

Thanks for the other suggestions. Never would have thought of concrete dye...

I'll probably snag a few buckets worth of the finer stuff.
-J.Andrew