Chemical Forums
General Forums => Generic Discussion => Topic started by: Corvettaholic on July 02, 2004, 05:48:59 PM
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I was purusing howstuffworks.com, and I came across hydrogen peroxide rocketry. Neat stuff back from the 50's. Would this be a feasible project for me to build a peroxide powered rocket engine? I remember HMX educating me about the problems with H-O-O-H type bonds, as in they explode really easily. Also, for a motor I'd need high purity hydrogen peroxide, which I don't have available. If I was a clever guy, I assume there's somewhere in Phoenix I could obtain the stuff from? With a proper FBI background check of course, cause I imagine they're require it.
On second thought, maybe I shouldn't. I don't really know how to safely handle any quantity of high purity hydrogen peroxide.
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H2O2 can be purified either by freezing the water out, or by distillation at reduced pressure, I don't think hydrogen peroxide will explode except when so pue it becomes a solid ;D
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Actually, the nazis' used hydrogen peroxide to propel rockets back in the 40's. Maybe even earlier.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/me163.htm
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H2O2 can be purified either by freezing the water out, or by distillation at reduced pressure, I don't think hydrogen peroxide will explode except when so pue it becomes a solid ;D
The thing is, one single, lone, solitary metal particle or ion and the peroxide will catalytically decompose which will result in explosion and/or incineration of anything in the area. Peroxides are notoriously unstable, and the more concentrated they are the more likely to violently decompose they become. So while you could take some grocery store peroxide and try and purify it, the level of contamination in the the peroxide itself and whatever instruments you may use will tend to make it decompose on you very quickly. :P
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Right, which is why I need to order it from some fancy pants place if I even would dare to do this project. The way I understand how the rocket works, once the hydrogen peroxide beings to decompose, it will generate heat at around 500 C, and kicks off an oxygen atom leaving you with good ol water. What does water do at that temperature? Steam of course! Increase the exit velocity of the steam by forcing it through the choke point (can't think of the technical term) of the nozzle, and voila! A steam rocket.
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heh, if you want something that will react nicely with H2O2, go for a metal or better yet a hydroxide.