KonkreteRocketry
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Registered: 12-11-2012
Location: Dubai
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Boron as a potential metallic rocket fuel ?
So here boron produces as much heat aluminum does, while being so much lighter as in molar mass, so dosent this make it much more efficient ? Also,
Boron produces B2O3 when burned with oxygen, which is very good because it boils at 1850, unlike Al2O3 produced by the widely used aluminum that boils
at 3000+
Here is a list of the heat enthalpy of different stuff with oxygen during combustion.
Hydrogen (H)
141.80 MJ/kg (According to stoichiometry on Wikipedia)
125.00 MJ/kg (According to stoichiometry on HC Calculator)
Boron (B)
116.87 (According to stoichiometry on Chinese pyrotechnic)
Aluminum powder(Al)
60.9 MJ/kg (According to stoichiometry on Chinese pyrotechnic)
62.1 MJ/kg (According to stoichiometry on Zumdahl 5th edition)
Kerosene
46.20 MJ/kg(According to stoichiometry on Wikipedia)
Those are some common rocket fuels, liquid and solid. I have never seen a solid metallic fuel to be as high as hydrogen, while boron being much denser
than liquid hydrogen and being a solid at the same time where solid propellants are comparatively easier and less costly.
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Eddygp
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I think boron is way too expensive to use it as a fuel... that's an advantage for Al.
there may be bugs in gfind
[ˌɛdidʒiˈpiː] IPA pronunciation for my Username |
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KonkreteRocketry
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Maybe the high efficiency can make up for that loss ?
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Bot0nist
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the boron oxides (boron trioxide, IIRC) will cause lots of problems for your in regards to your exuast and nozzle functionality. I think wiki has some
info on this. Al is in the "sweet spot" so to speak. Search the forum. this has been discussed before here, IIRC.
Good luck and be safe!
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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