KNO3+Sugar+Sulphur Rocket

[Blaf]

Hi guys

My test site witnessed two firings of KNO3+Sulphur+Sugar propelled rockets with a small payloads. The engine bodies have been made of plastic tubing with 12mm inner diameter taken from counting machine ribbons. Plugs were made by bentonite with 3mm nozzle drilled after the propellant had been rammed. Payloads consisted of small pumped stars of 5mm dia were packed in cylindrical shells sitting on top ot each plastic tube. Breake charge was small grained domestic BP with slice of Meal. Stabilizers were usual barbecue wooden sticks.
I'm very proud of this part: Both rockets worked reliably and reached respectable heights. The trajectory of the first one was more spiral than straight but it ended with mild POP and nice spread of stars at some 25m height. The straight flying one reached about 50m height and popped well too spraying stars in shape of a fan. All in all, I was very happy with both tests and concluded this was successful launch and reliable rocket design which should be furtherly developped.

I'm ready for your questions...

Blaf

[signet]

can you post the ingridients please. I mean the amount of each.

[Nitroglycerin]

Signet,

If you want to have the ingredients of the propellant of Blaf's rocket, you have to read his post, you will read KNO3 (potassium nitrate) + Sugar (C12H22O11).

I don't know why this topic has the name "KNO3+sugar+sulphur" or Blaf has forgotten to type sulfur behind KNO3+sugar.

The reaction of the propellant is: KNO3 + C12H22O11 + S --> K2S + CO2 + H2O + Energy

I don't want to make make the reaction correct, so you have to figure that out yourself, you have to calculate the grams out of the mols too. I can't do it right now becouse I have to go now.

NG

[signet]

again, thanks

[Blaf]

Hello guys!

I see some activity here...and I'm more than glad. Sorry for not posting the ingredients of this ineteresting rocket propellant before. So here I am to correct it:

KNO3 = 63
Sugar = 27
Sulphur = 10

All measures are of course by weight. This comp is posted elsewhere on Net (can't remember where), it's ball milled for an hour or so and stored in air tight container for future use. No sparks are being produced by this propellant and it's not too energetic...it leaves nice white trail in the sky, though.

Blaf

[Nitroglycerin]

Blaf,

do you think that if I ballmill the mixture (for 10 hours), a bit moist, it wil have the same deflagration rate as meal powder? Another thing is, is KNO3 + sucrose + Sulfur "better" than KNO3 + sucrose?

Nitroglycerin

[Blaf]

Hello Nytro

It will definitely not have the same deflagration rate...but I don't know theorietically why. Especially if you moist the mixture. I believe it has something to do with recrystalisation of the sugar or so...we should ask Exhile for advice on this matter.
As for KNO3+sugar compared to KNO3+sugar+sulphur (KSS), I have to admit I never tried KNO3+sugar as is in rocket engine. But KSS works just fine, it's not so "wild" as BP propellant and has more or less steady burning rate under pressure. I was leaving ¾ core of the overall grain lenght and never had CATO...which means something itself.

Blaf

[Nitroglycerin]

Hey Blaf,

I think that KSS burns slower than Bp because the H2O produced by reacting oxygen with hydrogen. Water normally stop's fire, so it could be the water that slows the reaction down. Another reason could be that the structure of charcoal is better for a fast burning mixture than sugar.

Ng