Unusual propellants

[Jeffdyjeff]

I ordered some guanidine nitrate, hexamine and lithium nitrate (69% oxygen) along with the usual apcp chems and would like to experiment. Does anyone have experience with any of these?

[SeaMonkey]

The Jetex Fuel Pellets which were used with their Aluminum Rocket Cartridges used Guanidine Nitrate.

 

Its advantage in Rocket Fuel is that it makes low temperature combustion possible.

 

The Jetex Forum

Edited December 6, 2020 by SeaMonkey

[SharkWhisperer]

I ordered some guanidine nitrate, hexamine and lithium nitrate (69% oxygen) along with the usual apcp chems and would like to experiment. Does anyone have experience with any of these?

Exactly what are you trying to accomplish? Please keep in mind that Li nitrate is toxic...Your other limited posts already worry me.

 

Please introduce yourself and describe what your interests and goals entail. Rocketeer? Plain ol' pyro? Fireworker?

 

I have experience with all three compounds, but won't open a discourse without confidence in your knowledge base and intentions.

 

And why did you feel the need, on Post #3, to clarify that LiNO₃ is 69% oxygen? You do know of course that LiNO₃ is not only seriously hygroscopic, but instead is it's big brother "deliquescent", meaning it'll suck water from the air until it turns into a liquid trihydrate salt, yes?

 

What are your ambitions?

[Jeffdyjeff]

The Jetex Fuel Pellets which were used with their Aluminum Rocket Cartridges used Guanidine Nitrate.

 

Its advantage in Rocket Fuel is that it makes low temperature combustion possible.

 

The Jetex Forum

[Jeffdyjeff]

Yeah, those Jetex planes look like a lot of fun! On one page it says its a monopropellant, but another forum had people saying it wont light by itself or in any other mixture.

Exactly what are you trying to accomplish? Please keep in mind that Li nitrate is toxic...Your other limited posts already worry me.

 

Please introduce yourself and describe what your interests and goals entail. Rocketeer? Plain ol' pyro? Fireworker?

 

I have experience with all three compounds, but won't open a discourse without confidence in your knowledge base and intentions.

 

And why did you feel the need, on Post #3, to clarify that LiNO₃ is 69% oxygen? You do know of course that LiNO₃ is not only seriously hygroscopic, but instead is it's big brother "deliquescent", meaning it'll suck water from the air until it turns into a liquid trihydrate salt, yes?

 

What are your ambitions?

[Jeffdyjeff]

I havent posted on here yet, besides a reply to another member suggesting sugar rockets because the only pyro chemicals he could get were aluminum amd kno3.

My name is John, I grew up as a machinist and pyro, and my intention is to find some new, interesting propellants. The end goal is to try some afterburner designs on engines to see if I can cut way down on the oxygen that a rocket has to carry within the atmosphere.

My chemistry background is all just home reading, but I take safety very seriously and after some good burns and close calls in earlier years I dont take stupid risks, so there is my background.

And yes, Ive read about lithium nitrate, and its been said that its used in pyro, although it must be a pain in the ass if it sucks up that much water. The reason I pointed out the oxygen content is because many people never really stray from the accepted norm, so if you bring up anything slightly unusual they start shorting out and making weird noises with steam coming out of their ears.

[SharkWhisperer]

I havent posted on here yet, besides a reply to another member suggesting sugar rockets because the only pyro chemicals he could get were aluminum amd kno3.

My name is John, I grew up as a machinist and pyro, and my intention is to find some new, interesting propellants. The end goal is to try some afterburner designs on engines to see if I can cut way down on the oxygen that a rocket has to carry within the atmosphere.

My chemistry background is all just home reading, but I take safety very seriously and after some good burns and close calls in earlier years I dont take stupid risks, so there is my background.

And yes, Ive read about lithium nitrate, and its been said that its used in pyro, although it must be a pain in the ass if it sucks up that much water. The reason I pointed out the oxygen content is because many people never really stray from the accepted norm, so if you bring up anything slightly unusual they start shorting out and making weird noises with steam coming out of their ears.

Cool. Welcome. Always good to have new topics to learn about.

[Jeffdyjeff]

Thank you!

[Sulphurstan]

@jeff.

If you're interested in unusual propellants, have you ever tested something like R Nakka's RNX?

I'm currently beginning to experiment with it, and it looks promising...

[SeaMonkey]

Back in the '50s the Rocketeers in Iowa were using Zinc Powder and Sulfur to mix

their propellant charge.

 

We discovered we could make Zinc Powder by electrolyzing a solution of Zinc Sulfate.

With a Zinc Anode and a Carbon Cathode we found that by electrolyzing the solution

at a higher current than normally used for Zinc Plating that the Zinc would accumulate

on the Cathode as a spongy, powdery mass that could, when enough had accumulated,

be filtered and washed to collect it.

 

Sulfur was available then at any Drug Store and Zinc was readily attainable as Jar Lids for

Canning which were made from Zinc. We'd mix our electrolytically powdered Zinc with

Sulfur and load our rockets with it.

 

It wasn't as effective as Black Powder by any stretch but it did work surprisingly well.

 

In those days Diode Rectifiers and Selenium Dry Disk Rectifiers were expensive so we

made Electrolytic Rectifiers in Pint Canning Jars to convert the AC to DC. Four such

Electrolytic Rectifiers arranged as a Bridge worked reasonably well.

 

Back then it seemed almost miraculous that with just a little knowledge and some readily

available common materials one could actually make a Rocket!

 

Our Rockets then weren't as large as this one but it looks like the propellant is still being used

by some.

 

There are a number of videos showing how to make the fuel as well as rocket launches.

 

This Search will produce links to the various videos.

 

When properly mixed the fuel is quite fast.

Edited January 9, 2021 by SeaMonkey

[ChrisPer]

When I were a kid I got this book from the library:

Rocket Manual for Amateurs

 

It is very seriously worthwhile.

[tenneyguy]

Back in the '50s the Rocketeers in Iowa were using Zinc Powder and Sulfur to mix

their propellant charge.

 

We discovered we could make Zinc Powder by electrolyzing a solution of Zinc Sulfate.

With a Zinc Anode and a Carbon Cathode we found that by electrolyzing the solution

at a higher current than normally used for Zinc Plating that the Zinc would accumulate

on the Cathode as a spongy, powdery mass that could, when enough had accumulated,

be filtered and washed to collect it.

 

Sulfur was available then at any Drug Store and Zinc was readily attainable as Jar Lids for

Canning which were made from Zinc. We'd mix our electrolytically powdered Zinc with

Sulfur and load our rockets with it.

 

It wasn't as effective as Black Powder by any stretch but it did work surprisingly well.

 

In those days Diode Rectifiers and Selenium Dry Disk Rectifiers were expensive so we

made Electrolytic Rectifiers in Pint Canning Jars to convert the AC to DC. Four such

Electrolytic Rectifiers arranged as a Bridge worked reasonably well.

 

Back then it seemed almost miraculous that with just a little knowledge and some readily

available common materials one could actually make a Rocket!

 

Our Rockets then weren't as large as this one but it looks like the propellant is still being used

by some.

 

There are a number of videos showing how to make the fuel as well as rocket launches.

 

This Search will produce links to the various videos.

 

When properly mixed the fuel is quite fast.

 

Years ago, RC models and such were far more limited than today. What I'm seeing lately suggests a question: might a drone be used to remote launch a small rocket at altitude?

[stix]

 

. . . What I'm seeing lately suggests a question: might a drone be used to remote launch a small rocket at altitude?

.

I like your thinking. What about shooting down a drone with a rocket launched from the ground or from another drone?

That could be lots of fun but expensive and possibly dangerous I suspect. Oh yeah, and probably illegal. You could even have competitions.

Edited June 18, 2021 by stix

[tenneyguy]

.

I like your thinking. What about shooting down a drone with a rocket launched from the ground or from another drone?

That could be lots of fun but expensive and possibly dangerous I suspect. Oh yeah, and probably illegal. You could even have competitions.

 

To you I owe thanks for receiving my first "like"! I am truthfully disappointed, however, that having asked several nagging questions troubling me, none of the experts have seen fit to answer.

[stix]

 

To you I owe thanks for receiving my first "like"! I am truthfully disappointed, however, that having asked several nagging questions troubling me, none of the experts have seen fit to answer.

.

Oooohhhh, that's not ideal. Usually someone with knowledge will give you some sort of an answer.

I'm more into the rocket side of pyro, so it's not often that I'm able to help someone else.