selwyndog

This may of interest, a high impulse fuel has been made from aluminium powder and water. About a 50,50 mix. Material is like a silver toothpaste, can be used to fill rocket tubes in this state then it is frozen solid. The fuel is called Alice (Al ice). Looked at the energetics, AP/AL mix about 2.2kcal per gram, Alice around 1.8kcal per gram, gunpowder less than 1kcal per gram. A poster on this material estimated an SI of up to 310seconds. More can be found on youtube.

Hi friends,

I did it!

Some month ago I prepared leadnitrate and coppernitrate from lead, copper and nitric acid. That was the easyer part.

The next step was made this week, as I prepared my first GSLD (Graphite Substrate Lead Dioxide) Anodes.

A spinning setup was build, similar to the ideas of wfvisser's homepage.

The first try failed because a thermofuse inside the motors windings actuated and the motor stopped spinning. I didnt realize because I sat down to eat something. The anode colected little bubbles and got holes in its coating. It was not so easy to disassemble the winding and solder the fuse out. I then decided to mount a cooling fan to the motors shaft. That works now.

The second try failed because I allowed the stup to run too long. The plating got too heavy and flew away short before I decided to stop the proces. F...!

The third try was really good. I let it run at 6 ampere for 30 minutes and the layer became approx 0,8mm thick and has no holes or cracks.

The fourth try did exacly the same.

The anodes are placed parallel with 25mm distance from center to center. A 4mmx24mm bar of stainless stell is placed between them. The top sides are sealed with two compoments silikone. The working length is 20cm so the anodes area is around 110cm?. The cathode area is almost exactly the same.

The bath has 1,8 litres and containes 600g NaCl.

I use a PC power supply, it runs 21A @ 4,85V through the cell.

The only thing I am wondered about is the very strong chlorine smell!!!!!!!!

I even thurts when breathed in unfortunately!

Much hydrogen is formed at the stainless cathode, it builds up a lot of foam.

The chlorine bubbles are much less then the hydrogen but I really want to drcrease further!!

Any ideas?
(photos will follow)
MfG
newtoolsmith

I've used sodium nitrate for years as it was freely availble in a local hardware store for about £2 for a few kelo's. Sodium Nitrate has a lower molecular mass so not as much is requires 101g KNO3 can be replaced by 85gNaNO3.Sodium nitrate is also more reactive than it potassium counterpart so theoretically GP made with this salt is both more energetic and rapid in it's reaction, however it's hygroscopic behaviour tends to slow the material down with storage. It can be dried off in a flat pan heated with steam after which it's speed is restored.
The composition I usually use is 170g NaNO3, 32g S and 36g C. Rockets made with this composition have flown very sucessfully

Using the styrene binder as a fuel only the stiochiometric ratio is
ratio of NH4NO3:Styrene 100:6.5
Al only as the fuel
ratio of NH4NO3 :Al 40:9
A mixture of these two compositions will combust completely.

Interesting that you can use ordinary polyester / styrene fibreglass resin. Looks like the Al is the main fuel here if the proportions are correct, as opposed to the dual purpose fuel/binder resin used with AP. Do you have a web reference for more info on this AN based formula or similar ones?

Alas no, me background is as a pure research chemist, and I used to work with polymer binding agents when I was a friction material development chemist. As you rightly said the Al is the fuel and provide most of the energy in these compositions, the binder styrene in the case is present just to stick the fuel together. Styrene/unsaturated veg oil will also undergo free radical polymerisation together to give a slightly more flexible binding agent and due to the extra hydrogen relative to styrene alone slightly more binder can be used.