When in a war zone, the last thing you want to worry about is a locked door, as that usually involves either picking the lock or using an explosive. However, the US Air Force and Energetic Materials and Products Inc. have developed a lightsaber-like device that can melt metal looks in seconds. Called the TEC Torch, this handheld device expels a combination of vaporized metal and particulate matter coming from its thermite cartridge at 4,000° + Fahrenheit.
How does it work? A standard-sized cartridge is housed inside the electric handle and can deliver results in as little as 2-seconds. It weighs no more than a pound and is essentially a lightsaber, but with a fire blade rather than pure plasma. Unfortunately, the TEC Torch isn’t powerful enough to melt through thick pieces of metal, but works brilliantly on locks and steel bars up to 0.75-inches thick.
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It works through a combination of chemistry and physics. The extremely high heat renders the steel to a molten state, and the force of the propulsion erodes the material very rapidly,” said Stephanie Johnson, program manager and research chemist at Energetic Materials and Products, Inc. (EMPI).
