"Sean R. Lynch" wrote:
> Note that I was talking about electrically heating the *catalyst*, not
> the peroxide. When our reaction starts out milky and then goes clear,
> it's not the peroxide that's heating up, it's the catalyst.

I've suggested that a "multi-stage" pack could be made: we observed
(on the first KISS engine run attempt) that, with an insufficient 
thickness of silver/foam pack, we would get partial reaction but
not full decomposition, resulting in a continued white mist in the
exhaust. It was clear that peroxide was being partially decomposed
and partially vaporized... now if this gas/mist stream (at moderately
elevated temperatures) were run into the inlet of another catalyst bed 
(containing a heat-resistant catalyst with a higher threshold temperature)
the decomposition could go to completion in the higher-temperature
catalyst (such as Sean's hypothetical platinum catalyst... or the
cermet pellets, for that matter!).

By putting the transition between the two types of catalyst at the
point where the temperature is high enough to "start" the ceramic/platinum/?
high temp catalyst (but not high enough to damage the silver pack even
with pure peroxide propellant), it might be possible to combine the
virtues of the catalysts.

(I've wondered if this is the general principle of J. Lozano's
"multi-metallic" catalyst system...?)

-dave w
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