the following examples describe preferred metallic compositions in accordance with the invention and methods of use thereof . it is to be understood , however , that these examples are provided by way of illustration only and nothing therein should be taken as a limitation upon the overall scope of the invention . although the invention can be implemented using a number of different compositions , the presently most preferred composition for general use in heat generation and degrading of unwanted substances is made up of about 13 % by weight magnesium foundry dust particles , about 40 % by weight iron foundry dust particles , a minor amount up to about 1 % by weight sodium chloride , with the balance of the composition being made up of one - half aluminum foundry dust particles and one - half zinc foundry dust particles . such dust particles typically have an average particle size close to that of the corresponding pyrotechnic grade particles , ± 50 %. in those instances where rapid initiation of the exothermic reaction is desirable , a small amount of crystalline elemental iodine may be added , typically up to about 2 % by weight of the composition . the compositions of the invention are preferably prepared by ball milling the selected metal particles to achieve a substantially homogenous mixture having substantially similar particle sizes . during such ball milling , it is not advisable to add the sodium chloride or other alkali metal salt , and also to avoid the introduction of water . in those compositions containing sodium chloride or other salt , the latter should be added after ball milling of the powdered metallic ingredients . the compositions may be used in a variety of ways . for example , they can be added directly to an aqueous system to be thermally degraded , without any additional ingredients . an alternative would be to form a self - sustaining body comprising one of the selected metal compositions interspersed and held within a synthetic resin matrix . for example , good results have been obtained by first preparing a molten synthetic resin material ( e . g ., a polyalkylene such as polypropylene ), followed by mixing in the previously prepared metal powder composition ( advantageously without the addition of any salt ) to assure homogeneity . at this point , the mixture can be poured into a pan or other form and allowed to cure and dry . generally speaking , the body should have up to about 5 % by weight of the matrix ( more preferably up to about 2 %), and up to about 95 % by weight of the metal powder composition ( more preferably up to about 98 %. although a variety of sizes and shapes can be formed in this manner , good results have been obtained with elongated sheets having a thickness of from about 1 / 8 - 1 inch , and more preferably from about 1 / 4 - 3 / 8 inch . such sheets or other self - sustaining bodies are used by placing the same in an aqueous system with the salt . this causes immediate generation of heat which melts the synthetic resin matrix and allows thermal degradation of unwanted substances . in other forms of the invention , the metallic compositions may be placed in a water - permeable container , such as a flexible fiberglass bag . this makes the compositions much easier to handle , and allows retrieval of the remnants of the bags after use thereof . an incident of use of the compositions of the invention is the generation of copious quantities of hydrogen gas . in large scale operations using the compositions , this hydrogen gas can be recovered and used as a fuel . in one test , a powdered composition was prepared by ball milling a mixture containing 90 - 95 % by weight elemental iron foundry dust , 3 - 5 % by weight elemental magnesium foundry dust , 4 % by weight zinc particles , and about 1 - 5 % by weight elemental aluminum foundry dust . after ball milling , about 1 % by weight sodium chloride was added and mixed thoroughly into the metal powder . thereupon , the powder was placed in large porous fiberglass bags ( 40 pounds of composition per bag ). these bags were used in a system designed for the treatment of swine manure . specifically , a series of three treatment cells were constructed each formed of an 8 foot long semicircular plastic body having a diameter of 24 inches , end walls and a lid ; the lid had a vent which opened at 20 psi . the plastic body was also equipped with an elongated central , apertured pipe which extended through the end walls . four of the composition - filled fiberglass bags were placed below the apertured pipe in each cell , and four above . the three cells were interconnected in parallel relationship to a final treatment vessel in the form of a large 200 barrel oil field tank . the oil field tank had a 2 inch deep layer of the described composition therein ( approximately 800 pounds ). the tank was also equipped with a gas - tight cover equipped with a pop off valve set at 40 psi . in the test , volumes of aqueous swine manure were passed through the three cells and to the final treatment tank . in the treatment cells , the temperature quickly rose to around 512 ° f ., and was maintained at this level during passage of manure therethrough and then slowly decreased as the composition was consumed . once the temperature fell below about 300 ° f ., the cell was deemed essentially spent , and was recharged with additional bags of the composition . during treatment in the cells , steam and hydrogen gas was evolved and vented to the atmosphere . the effluent from each cell was directed to the final tank where it was finally treated , again involving evolution of considerable gas . the temperature in the final tank was below 300 ° f . the final product remaining in the tank after the thermal degradation was in the form of a ash - like powder of very small volume as compared with the original volume of manure ( ash volume estimated to be around 3 % of the original manure volume ). in a similar fashion , a variety of products can be thermally degraded using the compositions of the invention . these include all types of alcohol products , blood , petroleum products ( e . g ., crude or refined oils ) and polychlorinated biphenols . the temperature of reaction generated during degradation of these products is variable , with blood urine temperatures typically ranging from about 500 - 550 ° f ., whereas the other products are typically from 300 - 400 ° f .
methods and products for thermally degrading unwanted substances is provided which involves contacting such substances with a particulate metal composition in the presence of water and an alkali metal salt , and causing sufficient heat to be generated during such contacting to degrade the substance . the particulate metal compositions include respective quantities of particulate iron and magnesium , and optionally quantities of particulate aluminum and zinc . the compositions generate temperatures on the order of 300 - 550 ° f . during such thermal degradations , along with quantities of hydrogen gas and water vapor .