Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Plasticizers on a budget? (and binders)

Camroc37 - 25-9-2016 at 12:33

I've been looking in to plasticizers lately, but it seems they can be quite expensive. Here are a couple ones I was looking at today:
N-octyl phthalate http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/80153?la...

Tributyl citrate http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/27497?la...
The Tributyl citrate is much cheaper, but it is still a lot of money for just 100ml. Anyone have any recommendations for other sources or other plasticizers that you have had good experiences with? Also if you could take a look at this ebay item and tell me if it will work as a binder I would be thankful. Any cheaper sources of Styrene-butadiene you know of?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18-lb-Virgin-Crystal-Styrene-resin-P...:DagAAOSwHnFV54c-

Bert - 25-9-2016 at 12:48

Companies that sell propellant chemicals and supplies for amateur high power rocketry. The fuel grain binders often require plasticizers, and the amateurs experiment with several different binding systems. Prices are lower than sigma...

Camroc37 - 25-9-2016 at 13:05

Quote: Originally posted by Bert  
Companies that sell propellant chemicals and supplies for amateur high power rocketry. The fuel grain binders often require plasticizers, and the amateurs experiment with several different binding systems. Prices are lower than sigma...

Thanks. For anyone on this thread, here's the plasicizer and chemical store that sells all kinds of good stuff.
http://www.rocketmotorparts.com/Propellant_Chemicals/cat1577...
Store: http://www.space-rockets.com/supplies.html

Camroc37 - 25-9-2016 at 13:12

Quote: Originally posted by Bert  
Companies that sell propellant chemicals and supplies for amateur high power rocketry. The fuel grain binders often require plasticizers, and the amateurs experiment with several different binding systems. Prices are lower than sigma...

Also, would you happen to know if the plasticizers and binders listed would effect explosive power? (Recipe: 80% PETN, binder butadiene 9.4%, Isodecyl Pelargonate Plasticizer 9%, antioxidant 0.5%, Dye 0.5%)

Bert - 25-9-2016 at 17:17

Nope. Not a clue...

It is usualy best to give your source for such mixtures, or any process/mixture you have questions about.

And Firefox.

Camroc37 - 25-9-2016 at 18:28

Quote: Originally posted by Bert  
Nope. Not a clue...

It is usualy best to give your source for such mixtures, or any process/mixture you have questions about.

And Firefox.

Well, seeing you don't know I doubt the sources would help you now. I will in the future. My sources where
1) Explosiopedia's video on Semtex A1
2) Wikipedia
3) Myself
I trust the ORIGINAL recipe, the actual military grade semtex one, but I will try the recipe I created. I don't think anything could react differently, but I will be very careful in trying this mix. I never make any more than a couple grams of something until I am certain it will not blow up without me wanting it to. There is no reason it should that I can see. I'll report back on it in the semi-near future.