Ammonium Perchlorate and aluminium rocket Detonation

12g of a 60/40 mix of NH4ClO4 and Al inside a rocket casing. This test was conducted again and the same results occurred, it should not be repeated by anyone. I am only uploading to demonstrate the dangers of Ammonium Perchlorate rocket propellant.

** Always use a Binder**

The shock wave from this caved in the fence, blew a door open, blew out the pilot flame of a hot water heater 12m away, demolished the brick it was in and stunned the hell out of me!!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• sugar
• rocket
• explosion
• detonation
• ammonium
• perchlorate
• potassium
• nitrate
• aluminium
• flash
• powder
• high
• explosive
• funny
• cats
• bored
• apcp
• power

[iwasapenny]

That is NOT rocket propellant, that is flash powder.

Change the title to: "touch sensitive flash powder pipe bomb" because that's what this is considering most AP formulations have at most 10-20% metal content and ALWAYS have a binder.

Do you have ANY idea how dangerous it is to mix together AP and a metal alone?

You just illustrated the dangers of idiots getting a hold of and fucking around with chemicals they shouldn't have, not the dangers of AP.

[rmoss15]

@iwasapenny Thanks, seeing as though there are no videos on youtube about people doing this I figured I should at least put one up to give others that wanted to try it a heads up, something that I didn't get.

[iwasapenny]

Just a little fyi and how dangerous this is, a couple people have mixed 15-20% Al with AP while making actual propellant, before adding the binder (bad idea!), and the batch ignited. I think one of he guys clothes ignited from the radiant heat alone.

That's less then half the Al here, probably a coarser grade, and mixed carefully by someone experienced.

Oh, and you know whats even better? Dry AP with Al or Mg, has a very nasty habit of self igniting.

Its like KNO3 with metals, but 10X worse.

[rmoss15]

@iwasapenny I'm curious where you got all this information from? Maybe I can learn something from it

[dawson01912]

@iwasapenny

I've read directly what the guy who had an accident wrote and he had 6 micron aluminum leftover in a coffee bean grinder. Then he added AP to that and started grinding. Apparently, some of it fell into the motor and got a spark. There was no 325 mesh aluminum involved.

Sure, binder makes it safer, but AP/Al is not an exploding target or a "sensitive mix". Where are you getting your information on that? Have you done testing with it?

[iwasapenny]

You are right, AP and aluminum will not spontaneously react/ignite like magnesium will.

Still doesn't change the fact that it is an extremely sensitive and and dangerous mixture that has no place in rocketry or anything else.

Though I don't think you were denying that.

I'll say it again to be sure, AP and aluminum is fine, WITH A BINDER. When its a dry mixture it is NOT. The presence of a binder completely changes its properties.

[iwasapenny]

No, he wasn't. Fine micron aluminum is never used regularly in EX rocketry because it makes little difference in the ISP or burn rate of APCP propellants. The accident was with the run o the mill 325 mesh aluminum powder, and you know damn well that's not even close the the finest micron aluminum powder available.

[iwasapenny]

It doesn't.

Here, Let me fix that for you:

Space shuttle SRB propellant:

69.8% Ammonium perchlorate.

16% aluminum powder

12% PBAN binder.<-- forgot that, did we?

2% curative.<-- and this.

.2% Fe203<-- oh my, This too?

See that 12% there? Yeah, that's what makes this into rocket propellant, and not an explosive.

[wow1022]

@iwasapenny

then why does the solid rocket boosters on the space shuttle use

16% aluminum powder

69.8% ammonium perchlorate

[RadioTrefoil]

@MrAustralianPyro Customs stops all perchlorates in and out of Australia D:

[dawson01912]

@iwasapenny

With so little documentation of adverse AP/Al reaction, you're talking about a guy who lit himself because he was mixing finest micron stuff.

I don't think you know what exactly what you're talking about.

[lilmarine]

@Vaslop2000 you sir get a star! :D

[endimion17]

Why don't you change this stupid video title? It's not a rocket fuel. It's an explosive.

A true pipe bomb that could've killed you.