N2O4/Pentaborane
Propellant
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
N2O4/Pentaborane propellant. Pentaborane (B5H9) was considered as a high performance fuel in the US in the 1950's. Its development was pursued with some vigor by Glushko in Russia during the 1960's. But like the other fluorine and boron motors of the time, it presented too many handling and safety problems to be adopted as a flight engine.
Oxidizer Density: 1.450 g/cc. Oxidizer Freezing Point: -11 deg C. Oxidizer Boiling Point: 21 deg C. Fuel Density: 0.622 g/cc. Fuel Freezing Point: -47 deg C. Fuel Boiling Point: 62 deg C.
Subtopics
- RD-270M Glushko exotic N2O4/Pentaborane rocket engine. In 1962-1970 Glushko studied use of Pentaborane 'zip' propellants in his monster RD-270 engine. Created immense toxicity problems but increased specific impulse of the engine by 42 seconds.
Related
- Engines
- RD-270M