Craig Fink :

Earl Colby Pottinger wrote:

John Cramer's latest breakthru is adding an alcohol to 50% peroxide to
make a cheap, easy to handle, easy to buy mono-propellant for his
rockets.

Does anyone know more about this combination or other cheap fuel
combinations? Notice I don't consider LOX to be cheap. In large bulk
quanties it may be, but for small amounts the handling equipment costs
alot. (Frozen valves anybody?)

I remember there was an oxidizer made by dissolving a solid oxidizer in
water, what happened to that?

Also there was a hybrid rocket that had a catalyst (in? part of? was
the?)
fuel so all you did was open/close the valve for peroxide and it
auto-started. You got the simple design of a mono-propellant engine but
the performance of a hybrid, not to mention a very high DensityISP. Has
there been any more developent on that?




In URL http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/SSC/H2O2CONF/PStokes.htm


"Another fatality now occurred when a trial was undertaken by a Dr. Wahmke
in attempting to pre-mix hydrogen peroxide and alcohol upstream of the
chamber. The intention had been use as a 'monergol' propellant, combining
oxidant and fuel, but it resulted in a feed tank detonation. "


I guess John knows how to do it better than Dr Wahmke.

Craig Fink

One thing that matters is the percentages, mix 3 percent peroxide with any
amount of fuel and it will not explode there is just too much water. Mix 8
units of 99% peroxide with 1 unit of 99% alcohol and you will an explosive
you will not dare sneezing in the same room.

John is using 40% and 50% peroxide with very little alcohol. He so far has
not had any problems. And while this mix and more powerful version of it
interest me, that is not what I am asking.

50% peroxide is cheap and has relatively few regulations about it's handling
or shipping. High purity alcohols that can not be drunk also are cheap and
easy to handle/ship.

What I am asking is "Are there any other combinations out there that are
cheap, easy to handle and ship, have few regulations controlling them?"

Earl Colby Pottinger

PS. Because of a string of Hot-Rodding accidents police are crarking down on
Nitrous Oxide suppliers.

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