N2O4/Alumizine
Propellant
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
N2O4/Alumizine propellant. Nitrogen tetroxide became the storable liquid propellant of choice from the late 1950's. Alumizine was a mixture of 43% aluminum powder suspended in anhydrous hydrazine with a gelling agent. The idea was to increase the heat of combustion due to the high enthalpy of formation of aluminum oxide as a combustion product, similar to the metallized kerosene ('Kerosol') tested by Saenger in the 30's. Alumizine was never flown and was only tested in static ground tests. A drum of alumizine exploded in California when it was not disposed of safely. The fuel was proposed for some pressure-fed 'big dumb booster' designs of the late 1960's.
Oxidizer Density: 1.450 g/cc. Oxidizer Freezing Point: -11 deg C. Oxidizer Boiling Point: 21 deg C.
Subtopics
- LR87 Alumizine Aerojet N2O4/Alumizine rocket engine. 1960's USAF development effort for a Titan storable engine using a metallized fuel (for greater impulse density) and gelled propellants (to facilitate in-space starts after a period of coasting).
- PF N204/Alumizine-1925k Notional N2O4/Alumizine rocket engine. Study 1967. Used on Saturn LCB-Alumizine-250 launch vehicle.
- PF N204/Alumizine-2300k Notional N2O4/Alumizine rocket engine. Study 1967. Used on Saturn LCB-Alumizine-140 launch vehicle.
- Saturn LCB-Alumizine-140 stage N2O4/Alumizine propellant rocket stage. Boeing Low-Cost Saturn Derivative Study, 1967 (trade study of 260 inch first stages for S-IVB, all delivering 86,000 lb payload to LEO): Low Cost Booster, Single Pressure-fed N2O4/Alumizine Propellant engine, HY-140 Hull.
- Saturn LCB-Alumizine-250 stage N2O4/Alumizine propellant rocket stage. Boeing Low-Cost Saturn Derivative Study, 1967 (trade study of 260 inch first stages for S-IVB, all delivering 86,000 lb payload to LEO): Low Cost Booster, Single Pressure-fed N2O4/Alumizine Propellant engine, Ni-250 Hull.