The 30% peroxide you can buy (and it's not particularly easy to get hold of), is typically full of weird and wonderful chemicals that 'stabilise' it together with a bit under 70% water.
Trouble is, as you purify the peroxide, as the concentration of peroxide goes above ~70% they work a lot less well.
The 'purification' process often mostly consists of removing the water (water is a lighter molecule and hence is easiest to remove), leaving behind these chemicals, the peroxide; and possibly other contaminants.
These contaminants can destabilise the mixture. And even if they don't, the contaminants will poison your catalyst.
There are ways around this; but the process is still very hazardous indeed.
One gram of peroxide (a small cube one centimeter on a side) has as much energy as a 2 bar electric fire can put out in a second; except that when it decomposes it can decompose in much less than a second. Even a drop can decompose with quite alarming effects. Now imagine what happens if a beaker full decomposes because of contaminants... many people have died due to peroxide; particularly chemists- in fact they have a saying 'peroxides kill chemists'.
I would recommend you start with a simpler, safer rocket engine. For example, there are plans on the web for a copper, water cooled, bipropellent rocket motor using hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, and you will learn just as much, or more, working on that- it's a real rocket engine with lots of pretty mach diamonds and everything, and it's quite a bit safer, although rockets are never safe. I can't find the URL right now though. Anyone have it or a copy?
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
My teacher and I are planning to buy 30% peroxide, and purify it to 70-80%...We figure that that will be cheaper then trying to buy some rocket grade peroxide. Thank you Mr. McCue, for your encouragement. Although the solid propellant would be easier, I am up for the challenge... I have experimented with different types of solid propellants, the most fun being a derivate of the classic smoke bomb, haha. I thank you all for the temendous amount of info you are giving me... Any help is greatly appreciated, whether it is a word of encouragement, or actual tech help. If it weren't for this group, I'd probably be up the creek...
Thanks Again
Matt
