JF Mezei wrote:

On 2016-10-18 08:36, Jeff Findley wrote:

It does when it's an energetic solid oxidizer (can't get much more
energetic than solid oxygen) right next to a solid fuel (carbon fiber).


Ahh. I remember asking early one what could be combusting in the rocket
with LOX leaking and gotten no answer.

I takle it that carbon fibre even when encased in resin is highly
combustible ? is the resin/epoxy also combustible in contact with LOX ?

(reminder to self: make sure not to spill any LOX on my bicycle :-(

Would fibre glass be less explosive or would the resin still provide the
combustible material that would yield the same result ?


The overwrap is there as MECHANICAL support, not insulation.
Fiberglass exposed to LOX temperatures is going to be, well, glass and
shatter into tiny pieces.

COVPs are not uncommon in rockets. However, supercooled LOX is.


You do that and you have what is called a "contact explosive". The
increase in pressure would cause it to literally explode.


Would it be fair to assume that a breach in the metal coating inside the
tank would have exposed LOX to carbon ?


Uh, you seem to have this backward. The composite is an OVERWRAP
around the helium tank to provide structural support. Oxygen getting
inside the overwrap exposes LOX to carbon. Normally the liquid
squeezes back out of the overwrap as the LOC tank is pressurized.
However, if it actually froze to a solid in there, it stays where it
is and gets carbon compressed into it. The pressure on the oxygen
surrounded by the carbon is what causes the problem.


--
"Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to
live in the real world."
-- Mary Shafer, NASA Dryden