More Chemistry experience required urgently.

I am not familiar with chemistry. The following is a link found in google search.

http://www.pc.chemie.uni-siegen.de/pci/versuche/english/v44-10.html

Sorry wilso, never took a chem class in my life.

Man. That's a much more useful and timely answer than what I just pm'd you, wilso.

A vigorous exothermic reaction ensues, releasing Hydrogen gas and heating the solution to boiling, if enough Al is present. Think crystal Drano! (Yep, just read the ingredients on the label)

The Sodium Aluminate reaction product rapidly decomposes to Aluminum Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide, so you can continue to add Al and water indefinitely. When ignited, the Hydrogen flame turns a nice yellow
from the sodium line emissions ...

In case you're wondering, I did this a lot in High school ...

Never finished high school myself.

Is this an aluminum salt?

I took High School chemistry. Then went to college and took 4 years chemistry as undergrduate and 5 years chemistry as graduate student.

Thankyou for telling me that.

You're welcome.

yep, that's a lot of that there chemistry...

very chemical indeed

You may not think so when I start asking questions.

At 3 am ?

Hmmmmm, so new haven must be in the central time zone...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Likely Keven Carlson is correct about sodium aluminate. I ran out of sodium hydroxide and it stopped making hydrogen with surplus aluminum and surplus water. The CRC handbook lists sodium metaaluminate NaAlO2 white amorphous powder that melts at 1800 degree c It is soluable in 20 degree c water and very soluable in hot water. Likely very stable, but some times we are surprised. There may be an intermediate product without meta in the it's name. Why hydrogen is released baffles me as does producing ballanced equasions. The handbook shows two different chemicals called aluminum hydroxide Al(OH)3 and AlO(OH) which decomposes to water and aluminum oxide Al2O3
2AlO(OH) ---2Al2O3 +HOH+O2 balances but apparently is not reality! I give up. None of the chemicals envolved fit the usual definition of a salt. Neil

One caution--don't try this in a closed vessel! You could blow your head off.

Former Chemistry Professor.

It's a McGuyver Bomb

Draino and aluminum powder, and if done with a compaction of diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate it could be a cap for a weapon of mass destruction.

The reactions going on are;

2 Al + 6 H2O ---> 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 H2
Al(OH)3 + NaOH ---> Na+ + [Al(OH)4]-

I don't recommend this, but if you do and don't want pyrotechniques use very dilute sodium hydroxide, use a open vessel in a ventilated area because hydrogen gas is amazingly flammable.

Rap