LOX compatible adhesives

[David Summers]

Is epoxy LOX compatible? What would it take to ignite it? What other
options are there for the home office ;-} ?

[Ian Stirling]

David Summers > wrote:
> Is epoxy LOX compatible? What would it take to ignite it? What other
> options are there for the home office ;-} ?

As I understand, nothing will stick to LOX.
:)
Being serious.
Essentially all hydrocarbon based plastics (including epoxy) will burn
vigourously when ignited.

If you possibly can, you want to keep LOX in stuff that will not readily
combust with it.
Stainless steel, aluminium, glass, ceramic, PTFE, ...

[Cray74@gmail.com]

As I understand, LOX can ignite a surprising range of hydrocarbon
substances just by touching them.

I stumbled over this website while looking for info. It's about a NASA
concept for composite LOX tanks:
http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Jan01/MFS31379.html

"The metal-coated mandrel is wrapped with multiple layers of graphite
fibers impregnated with an epoxy resin that, preferably, is compatible
with liquid oxygen."

I've seen a number of references to composite hydrogen tanks, but the
use of metal (aluminum) LOX tanks on the same vehicle (e.g., X33).
However, while that above link mentions a metallic liner for a
carbon-epoxy LOX tank, it does mention LOX-compatible epoxies. So I
suppose such epoxies exist.

Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

[richardnienhuis@gmail.com]

Most of the composite tanks have a metal layer between the lox and
epoxy. Epoxy is also relatively absorbant so I don't think you would
want lox soaking in there then expanding as the tank empties. I've
been thinking that some of the metal composites might be nice for
tanks. There are a couple lightweight ones that might work. Aluminum
with boron fibers and titanium with carbon fibers. You could extrude
out tapes and wind them on a mandrel to the tank shape you needed.
Then put them in an induction furnace and basically sinter them. You
would need some sort of special vaccuum bag though that could take that
kind of heat. Might work, might not. Its not something I have given a
great deal time thinking about.

[snidely]

Ian Stirling wrote:
[...]

> As I understand, nothing will stick to LOX.
> :)

Use toothpicks to pin it to the bagel :-o

/dps

[Henry Spencer]

In article >,
Ian Stirling > wrote:
>Essentially all hydrocarbon based plastics (including epoxy) will burn
>vigourously when ignited.

As will many other things. The ease or difficulty of ignition is
important, though.

>If you possibly can, you want to keep LOX in stuff that will not readily
>combust with it.
>Stainless steel, aluminium, glass, ceramic, PTFE, ...

Aluminum burns fiercely in LOX, and is not even that hard to ignite. Even
stainless *will* burn in LOX, but it needs much more provocation.

The Apollo 13 tank rupture was due to PTFE/Teflon -- or rather, Teflon
breakdown products -- burning in supercritical LOX.
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |

[David Summers]

Heh, that's sort of what I gathered...

On the other hand, Aluminum is not considered "LOX compatible" by some
standards - I understand it had to have a special waiver in the dawn of
time - and yet Armadillo is running hot GOX through it!

Since Al+O-> a solid and Cxxxx+O goes to a gas, I have the feeling that
epoxy wouldn't work though. Any ideas on what would work?

[Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)]

"Ian Stirling" > wrote in message
...
> David Summers > wrote:
> > Is epoxy LOX compatible? What would it take to ignite it? What other
> > options are there for the home office ;-} ?
>
> As I understand, nothing will stick to LOX.
> :)

That's not true. The obvious answer are "bagels"