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CF2/LH2

Propellant

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

CF2/LH2 propellant. No engines reached the operational stage using this propellant combination. CF2 was a free radical considered as a rocket oxidizer in the 1950's. It proved too unstable for use. Liquid hydrogen was identified by all the leading rocket visionaries as the theoretically ideal rocket fuel. It had big drawbacks, however - it was highly cryogenic, and it had a very low density, making for large tanks.

Optimum Oxidizer to Fuel Ratio: 6. Temperature of Combustion: 3,610 deg K. Density: 0.39 g/cc. Characteristic velocity c: 2,545 m/s (8,349 ft/sec). Isp Shifting: 410 sec. Isp Frozen: 401 sec. Oxidizer Density: 1.520 g/cc. Fuel Density: 0.071 g/cc. Fuel Freezing Point: -259 deg C. Fuel Boiling Point: -253 deg C.