24 replies to this topic

[a2wpyro]

hi

ive been looking for ratios on this mixture and have failed to find anything of use.
does any one know the amount f each chemical?
ive tryed:
60% sodium chlorate
20% charcoal
20% sulpur
this was ground up in a mortar & pestil, did not burn fast just a slow splutter with bits of hot sugar spitting out.
thx

Edited by a2wpyro, 05 January 2004 - 12:22 AM.

[Richard H]

I'm sorry, did you just say chlorate and sulphur in the same sentence? I think you better stop right there before before bits of you start flying off in different directions all at once.

[a2wpyro]

i dont want bits of me missing please
so its not possible for me to use this as a rocket fuel?

[Richard H]

Do some searching around this place and you will realise how dangerous mixtures of chlorate and sulphur can be. The mixture is very sensitive to impact, shock, and friction.

So in a word, don't ever consider mixing these together, let alone grinding them!

[Pyromaster2003]

This could be my fault as i think i have listed on my site about this as a fual, not sure though. Im shutting my site down in a couple of weaks because of all the stupid pyro devices and mixtures i listed when i was first starting with pyrotechnics around 3-4 years ago.

[adamw]

Mah!!!

Did I read Chlorate, Sulphur AND grind in the same sentence!!??

Do yourself a favour and read up on the dangers of this!

[tajmiester]

Repeating this cycle may help:

1) Say "Sulphur + Chlorate = No No!"
2) Bang head on hard surface
3) Repeat until you TREMBLE at the thought of mixing the two!

Hope this helps.

Tris

[a2wpyro]

i have gone off the idea of chlorate/ sulphur rockets but i am now gonna use bp in my rockets.
what dimensions should i use for my 1st rocket?

[bernie]

Go over to Alans post in UK pyrotechnics,Jan 3.

[invision]

I tried a chlorate/sugar rocket once and it kinda had potential, first it flared a bit and then it just made a really quiet sound for a bit with no visible flame. I was about to go back up to my house when it began to roar and looked like a proper rocket just before it flies. Then the end shot out and and there was a burst of flame as all the propellent ignited at once.

The end plug was clay and the hole was the right size, but I had made it and then glued it in place. In hindsight that sounds really dumb but it was the first rocket I made and Im real used to gluing in endplugs on firecrackers. But anyway Im gonna try it again sometime with a proper nozzle and like I said im pretty sure it has potential for those who get Sodium Chlorate cheaper than KNO3.

Oh and I used a visco fuse which obviously contains some Sulphur but theres such little contact between the sulphur and chlrate theres pretty much zero risk. As long as you dont store it too long I dont think youre in any danger especially if you know that there is a tiny chance of it going off and hold it pointing away from you.


Soz just saw that im a bit late but hey sumone might be interested.

Edited by invision, 08 March 2004 - 01:28 AM.

[Jerronimo]

Aahm... NaCLO3 cheaper then KNO3? you must be kidding.

And how do you intend to load the propellant, not ramming I hope that is the last thing I would do with a chlorate composition.
Just stay(relatively)safe and use the standard kno3/sugar propellant for your first rockets, and don't mess with chlorate compositions in such an early stage.

[adamw]

"I was about to go back up to my house when it began to roar and looked like a proper rocket just before it flies"

What if instead of heading back you went to examine the rocket and it went off in your face?!

[BurlHorse]

A2,

This may Help.....

Rocket propellant #1 ('Candy Propellant')
Source: rec.pyrotechnics
Comments: This propellant is often refferred to as "candy propellant".
Preparation: It is best prepared by melting the potassium nitrate and sugar together, but this is a dangerous operation and could result in accidential ignition during preperation. Dry mixing is possible and much safer but produces lower quality propellant.
Potassium nitrate.................................74.5
Sugar.................................................25.5


Rocket propellant #4
Source: Composition from the text ?The Incredible Five Cent Sugar Rocket? distrubuted on the internet by the Teleflite corporation.
Comments: Mixture is somewhat hygroscopic. Low impulse propellant.
Preparation:
Potassium nitrate.................................63
Sugar.................................................27
Sulfur.................................................10

Rocket propellant #6 (KNO3 propellant)
Source: rec.pyrotechnics. Posted by Chris Beauregard <cpbeaure@descartes.waterloo.edu
Comments: The burning rate of these rocket fuels depends much less on pressure than that of black powder. This widens the accetable limits of the ratio nozzle area/fuel surface area.
Preparation:
Potassium nitrate.................................72
Carbon...............................................24
Sulfur...................................................4


Rocket propellant #7 (NaNO3 propellant)
Source: rec.pyrotechnics. Posted by Chris Beauregard <cpbeaure@descartes.waterloo.edu
Comments: The burning rate of this rocket fuels depends much less on pressure than that of black powder. This widens the accetable limits of the ratio nozzle area/fuel surface area.
Preparation:
Sodium nitrate....................................69
Carbon...............................................27
Sulfur...................................................4

And After you master the above...........

Space Shuttle Boosters propellant
Source: NASA homepage
Comments:
Preparation:
Aluminum powder......................................................................16
Ammonium perchlorate..............................................................69.9
Fe2O3 catalyst..........................................................................0.07
Rubber based binder of polybutadi?ne acrylic acidacrylonitrile.....12.04
Epoxy curing agent....................................................................1.96


Regards, Stay Green,

Bear

[BigG]

I would not try the last formula in the last post. Rubber based binder of polybutadi?ne acrylic acidacrylonitrile can grow legs - chase you around the lunching site and eat you before taking off.

[Phoenix]

This propellant I have already mentioned produces a nice dense tail, and is quite easy to prepare. I have found it does not tend to burst motors so easily as straight BP (kinda obvious really), and it worked nicely in the core burners I have made with it. Didn't work so well in end burning bottle rockets though.

Potassium Nitrate......60
Charcoal....................30
Sulphur.....................10

The charcoal was barbeque charcoal. I'm not sure what the wood was, but I think pine might work nicely (for the tail). The ingredients were ball milled for a couple of hours (to dust. The longer the better). I didn't bother to granulate it, but it would make it nicer to handle.

I have used $0.05 sugar rocket propellant. It is easy to use and gives perfectly usable thrust, but there is very little in the way of a tail, and it can deteriorate badly on storage (due to moisture). So long as you use it quickly, and put a nice heading on the rocket (or use it during the day) it is probably a good first choice.