vanillity Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 I have a school project where I have to make a water-pressure powered bottle rocket (made from 2-liter pop botle). I'm wondering, is there any fuel I could coat the inside of my "rocket" with that would ignite when hit with water? I guess my question is if water ignited propellants exist and how to create some... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanillity Posted May 5, 2006 Author Share Posted May 5, 2006 oh and by the way, it can't contain any alkali's or dangerous, hard to obtain chemicals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj47 Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 AFAIK potassium permanganate/aluminium flash powder can be ignited with water and the both chemicals are relatively easy to obtain. However it's also sensitive to friction so it probably isn't suitable for rockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[w00t] Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 http://www.unitednuclear.com/negx.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woelen Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 [woot], these however are quite dangerous. I'm afraid that there is no safe chemical, which ignites on contact with water, because this property on its own already is a very unsafe thing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 and certainly Nothing that wouldn`t Melt a Plastic Bottle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecoli Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 and certainly Nothing that wouldn`t Melt a Plastic Bottle! I was thinking this...lol. Using sodium or somtehing to react with water wouldn't give your rocket a boost anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdurg Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 The only thing I could think of would be a lining of aluminum powder, iodine crystals, and some potssium iodide. When the water hits there would be a reaction between the iodine and aluminum, and the KI would cause any formed iodine to dissolve readily in the water. I'm just not sure how you would get all the I2, Al and KI together without a reaction happening early. As Woelen has already pointed out, something that "explodes" on contact with water is inherently not safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 I was thinking this...lol. Using sodium or somtehing to react with water wouldn't give your rocket a boost anyway. It would if it forms a gas, so you get ~22.4 L/mole; the expansion would give you propulsion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanillity Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 but probably not enough propulsion to make a lot of difference. it doesn't have to be totally "safe", as long as I don't die in the process. what I'll probably end up doing is make a sugar rocket and convince my teacher to let met light it off, won't be as cool though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket Man Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 a pneumatic rocket can be modified to go further, a nossle will do wonders! but if you really want to make a better one, use hydrogen peroxide (100% if you can get it) and a silver oxide catalyst, it's what makes the bell jetpack fly. if thats not possible, you can run it on electrolysed water, use the electrolosis to pressurise the bottle and a small spark gap in the air space at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olmpiad Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 If your trying to create a bottle rocket for SCHOOL, do you really think that water-sensitive chemicals are the best thing to include? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedChicken Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Just get something like alka seltzer tablets. Grind them up, and have them line the inside. Then put some slow disolving material on top of the layer of alka seltzers. Then pump it with water to get some pressure. When you start to notice a reaction going, launch the rocket. I don't think the alcaseltzer will give you a big boost, but it might do something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TATER Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 How about a mixture of powder citric acid and baking soda underneath a slow dissolving layer? the mixture would create CO2 and the water would mix the acid and the base setting off the reaction that takes place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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