Rocket Propellent

cannon freak · Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:40 pm

I have been looking around for quite a while to find potassium nitrate for some simple home made rocket motors, however all I have been able to find was ammonium nitrate. Can ammonium nitrate be used in place of potassium nitrate?

Or does anyone know of another rocket propellant recipe involving ammonium nitrate? It can not involve really expensive and hard to get chemicals because I don't have the money.

Thanks.

I don't believe this is against the forum rules since I have no intention of using it with a potato cannon. If I'm wrong just delete it.

SpudStuff · Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:43 pm

Liquid fueled with kerosene and hydrogen preoxide

cannon freak · Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:11 pm

Does any one know if it is legal or not to construct your own homemade rocket motors in Canada?

Dom · Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:31 pm

Why don't you just call the local police department?

WOW!! · Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:39 pm

cannon freak wrote:Does any one know if it is legal or not to construct your own homemade rocket motors in Canada?

In the US I know that it is illegal to pack you own rocket engines with out a special permet thing. Try the NAR website

boilingleadbath · Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:16 pm

...you might try mixing fine, dry NH4*NO3 with fine charcol powder, 80:20. I don't know if it'll work for rockets, but they used to use it for propellent in naval guns.

crazyfreak0075 · Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:24 pm

cannon freak wrote:I have been looking around for quite a while to find potassium nitrate for some simple home made rocket motors, however all I have been able to find was ammonium nitrate. Can ammonium nitrate be used in place of potassium nitrate?

Or does anyone know of another rocket propellant recipe involving ammonium nitrate? It can not involve really expensive and hard to get chemicals because I don't have the money.

Thanks.

I don't believe this is against the forum rules since I have no intention of using it with a potato cannon. If I'm wrong just delete it.

Well I have always known this but if your in canada this is gonna suck for u. Here's the link http://www.skylighter.com/mall/chemicals.asp?Sort=P#CH5300. The catch only to be shipped in the USA. I was talking to a long time friend and he always finds chemicals that cant be sold by making them. Find out how to make potassium nitrate if you cant buy it.
OH yeah no ammonium nitrate wont work.

Common formulas for pyrotechnics(all measurments are by weight):

Solid rocet fuel (old'en days)
sulfur (powder) 25%
zinc (powder) 75%
(caution!!!: very suseptible to ignition via: shaking or static)

cannon freak · Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:54 pm

I heard that mixing ammonium nitrate with aluminum powder and then casting them together with a binding agent works fairly well, is this true?

If it is any formulas?

Dom · Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:57 pm

Just checked.. TOTALLY Illegal in Canada

cannon freak · Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:35 pm

Well if solid fueled rocket motors are illegal perhaps a hybrid motor then.

I know that liquid N2O and paraffin wax are a good, but can the N2O be substituted by another liquid oxidizer?

A hybrid motor will probably be legal wouldn't it since the fuel and oxydizer are not combined until the point of ignition?

saladtossser · Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:46 pm

SpudStuff wrote:Liquid fueled with kerosene and hydrogen preoxide

how pure must the hyfrogen peroxide be?

Dom · Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:16 pm

You didn't get it... all artisanal rockets are completly prohibited in Canada if you don't own a license.

cannon freak · Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:24 pm

What does (artisanal) mean.

saladtossser · Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:46 pm

artisanal

small model rockets are allowed, but those are toys

Dom · Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:00 pm

Artisanal is an home made rocket... So, basically, any rocket made by someone who is an amateur, who does not have a license or expertise in rocketting is absolutly Illegal.