IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Needham Road, STOWMARKET, IP14 2AE

Industry by the side of the London to Norwich railway line looking towards Stowmarket Suffolk.

Seen from the surprisingly long and high bridge carrying the A1120 over the River Gipping and the railway. Industrial sites run some distance along the sides of the river and railway.

Those of you who have watched the Brainiac - Science Abuse programs on Channel 4 will be aware of Thermite – a mixture of iron oxide and aluminium which when reacted is so exothermic (hot) that it will burn through just about anything (when I was at school it was called thermit, I've no idea why the e has been added since). This plant utilises a variation of that reaction to produce ferro-molybdenum (FeMo) for the alloy and stainless steel industry (molybdenum being a very important alloying element in many grades of steel adding some corrosion resistance and hardness). Molybdenum trioxide replaces the iron oxide and elemental silicon in the form of Ferro Silicon (FeSi) replaces the aluminium the reaction is therefore: 2MoO3 + 3Si = 2Mo + 3SiO2 Like the thermite reaction the temperature reaches in the region of 2500C. In the presence of iron, which takes no part in the main reaction, the result is FeMo at around 70% Mo by weight. Climax Molybdenum have mines in the US and plants across the world http://www.climaxmolybdenum.com/WorldwideLocations/UK_Stowmarket_new.htm . Molybdenum is pronounced mol-ib-den-um.

The Ipswich to Cambridge line passes under the A1120 on its approach to Stowmarket.

Just south of Stowmarket town the river passes by the industrial area and under the A1120, from which this was taken.

There are barriers both left over the river and right into the factory. Walkers have to keep to the path.

To prevent access along the ledge to above the railway line. No, I didn't climb out myself, just held the camera out over the handrail - hence the coat sleeve to left of the frame!