Second flight with a hexaphenox rocket motor (Success)

markusb · July 30, 2011, 1:56am

***Update 2011/8/19***

First experiment using white wood glue (polyvinyl acetate) as a binder for the propellant hexaphenox. The advantage is that polyvinyl acetate emulsify very well with a 50:50 ratio of water/methanol and hexaphenox is completely solveable in water/methanol which gives the propellant a high density and therefore a good performance. See last video.

***Update 2011/8/16***

Successful static test firing of another 50g hexaphenox, using epoxy as a binder and isopropyl alcohol as a solvant. See first video.

***Update 2011/8/15***

First experiment by using epoxy as a fuel and KClO₃ as an oxidizer. Any shape, any solid fuel or oxidizer or even explosive is possible. See second video how it works...

***Update 2011/8/13***

Another 50g motor casted.

This time I wrapped around filter paper at the inner surface of the PVC tube. This makes it easy to remove the casted propellant from the tube after it is hardened

Removed propellant

Removed filter paper. It is now much easier to completely dry the propellant

3.1g are residual moisture from the solvent methanol

***Update 2011/8/11***

Another test firing with 50g hexaphenxo has been done (see third video). Binder: Rosin, solved in methanol, casted into a ID 30mm PVC pipe with 10mm dia core, 48h hardened at 30 ºC.

***Update 2011/7/31***

Second flight was successful and the rocket reached an altitude of 136m. See fourth video!

Since a few month I am exploring the possibility to use hexamine as a rocket fuel. The oxidizer I am using currently is KClO₃. I call the mixture Hexaphenox. Hexa stands for hexamine, phen for the catalyst and ox for the oxidizer. After many static test firings I built a small model rocket for the maiden flight. The weight of the rocket was 30g, the weight of engine, containing 10g of hexaphenox, 23.5g. The grain had a continuous core with a dia. of 4mm, the nozzle throat dia. was 4.8mm. Unfortunately the motor had a CATO shortly after lift off. For those who don't know what a CATO is, it stands roughly for a catastrophic motor failure.

I was told, rocketeers call this kind of CATO "crowd pleaser". The motor was chuffing, something that happens when the propellant is ignited near the nozzle instead of at the head of the core. The second video shows a static test firing with ignition on the head of the core - no CATO.

Fortunately I still have some of these Chinese 30 RMB model rockets so I can re-try it tomorrow.

Launch pad and rocket for the second attempt

Single frame image converted from the launch pad camera.

TBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDKGepziP-w

flokos · July 30, 2011, 6:07am

…

Hello just a question .

I have been watching you experimenting with rocket fuels and rocket motors and I wanted to make experiments my self too .

So can you make a tutorial on how to make a simple rocket ?

markusb · July 30, 2011, 6:43am

Hi flokos,If you want to

Hi flokos,

If you want to make a rocket by yourself, the best way is to start with sugar/KNO3. Just google “sugar propellant”. There are many tutorials out there:)

flokos · July 30, 2011, 7:40am

found this

found this one

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sugar-Rockets

markusb · July 30, 2011, 8:08am

If you have never flown a

If you have never flown a rocket before I recommand to start with a kit, just get familiar with all these things and the theory behind. It is not for nothing called “rocket science”

lumi · July 30, 2011, 8:46am

Saw your video and

Saw your video and remembered my experiements a couple of years back.

We used hair spray aerosol cans, sugar and saltpeter (KNO3) to build rockets or rocket powered boats.

Our problem was to get the diameter of the hole (nozzle) right. Too big and there was not enough thrust and too small the rocket exploded since the melted (caramelized) sugar stuffed the nozzle and the pressure of the still burning motors caused in an explosion.

flokos · July 30, 2011, 1:57pm

…

Do you have a kit to recommend?

fritsl · July 30, 2011, 5:05pm

MarkusB; What ever you do:

MarkusB; What ever you do: Please never stop posting your rockets here. It is so cool!!! So awsome

walkercreations · July 30, 2011, 6:13pm

When I looked at getting

When I looked at getting into Rocketry many years ago, this is the site that was recommended to me. They are very helpful and customer oriented. I highly recommend them. Apogee Components

bittybot · July 30, 2011, 6:16pm

Chilled It!

Thought It was cool enough.

markusb · July 30, 2011, 8:34pm

Thanks, testing the second

Thanks, testing the second rocket now:D

markusb · July 30, 2011, 8:35pm

I promise, Frits. And may

I promise, Frits. And may you not experience the same with your hexacopter

markusb · July 31, 2011, 2:32am

Hi lumi,Have you casted the

Hi lumi,

Have you casted the R-Candy or just used a powdered mixture?

flokos · July 31, 2011, 2:48am

…

Well I checked this out but they say they don’t ship outside USA and I live in Greece …

markusb · July 31, 2011, 3:04am

Hi flokos,You should have a

Hi flokos,

You should have a dealer in Greece. Rocket motors can not be shipped in general, so better check with some local suppliers.

lumi · August 2, 2011, 2:46am

No, we did not cast it. We

No, we did not cast it. We just mixed the sugar and the saltpeter together and filled it into the spray can. Then we ignited it with a “wunderkerze” or a bengal fire stick going through the “nozzle” hole in the bottom.

Krumlink · August 11, 2011, 8:50am

I’m excited to hear what the

I’m excited to hear what the thrust power is

markusb · August 11, 2011, 7:43pm

Hi Krumlink,This was just a

Hi Krumlink,

This was just a binder experiment. No nozzle was jused, thus thurst measurement make no sense. But I promise thrust measurements will follow:)

Krumlink · August 19, 2011, 11:33am

Wow the new mix looks like

Wow the new mix looks like it has TONS of potential (energy, hehe)! Looking forward to the woodglue powered rocket