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Kerolox


The highest specific impulse chemical rockets use liquid propellants (liquid-propellant rockets). They can consist of a single chemical (a monopropellant) or a mix of two chemicals, called bipropellants. Bipropellants can further be divided into two categories; hypergolic propellants, which ignite when the fuel and oxidizer make contact, and non-hypergolic propellants which require an ignition source.

About 170 different propellants made of liquid fuel have been tested, excluding minor changes to a specific propellant such as propellant additives, corrosion inhibitors, or stabilizers. In the U.S. alone at least 25 different propellant combinations have been flown. No completely new propellant has been used for nearly 30 years. Many factors go into choosing a propellant for a liquid propellant rocket engine. The primary factors include ease of operation, cost, hazards/environment and performance. They can consist of a single chemical, a monopropellant, or two, called bipropellants or other mixtures. Bipropellants can be either hypergolic propellant or nonhypergolic. A hypergolic combination of oxidizer and fuel will start to burn upon contact. A nonhypergolic needs an ignition source.

On March 16, 1926, Robert H. Goddard used liquid oxygen (LOX) and gasoline as rocket fuels for his first partially successful liquid-propellant rocket launch. Both propellants are readily available, cheap and highly energetic. Oxygen is a moderate cryogen as air will not liquefy against a liquid oxygen tank, so it is possible to store LOX briefly in a rocket without excessive insulation.

Germany had very active rocket development before and during World War II, both for the strategic V-2 rocket and other missiles. The V-2 used an alcohol/LOX liquid propellant engine, with hydrogen peroxide to drive the fuel pumps. The alcohol was mixed with water for engine cooling. Both Germany and the United States developed reusable liquid propellant rocket engines that used a storeable liquid oxidizer with much greater density than LOX and a liquid fuel that would ignite spontaneously on contact with the high density oxidizer. The German engine was powered by hydrogen peroxide and a fuel mixture of hydrazine hydrate and methyl alcohol. The U.S. engine was powered by nitric acid oxidizer and aniline. Both engines were used to power aircraft, the Me-163B Komet interceptor in the case of the German engine and RATO units to assist take-off of aircraft in the case of the U.S. engine.


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