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267 points PebblesRox | 5 comments | | HN request time: 0.858s | source
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api ◴[] No.43536938[source]

I think there's some stuff in a book called Ignition about experiments using Fluorine as an oxidizer in rocket engines to get a little better specific impulse than oxygen. Only problem is that the exhaust is hydrofluoric acid at thousands of degrees. Yipe.

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1. perihelions ◴[] No.43537155[source]

From memory, that book went in at least four different directions with fluorine compounds. Parts are about increasing specific impulse; parts are about increasing density impulse (fluorine's very dense); parts are about formulating oxidizers hypergolic with kerosene or with hydrogen; parts are about formulating oxidizers for deep space probes, with a melting/boiling point range matched to that thermal environment.

O3F2 is the one that if you add it to liquid oxygen, it makes hydrogen/oxygen combustion hypergolic.

Direct link: (.pdf) https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pd...

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2. api ◴[] No.43537366[source]

> O3F2 is the one that if you add it to liquid oxygen, it makes hydrogen/oxygen combustion hypergolic.

O3F2 sounds like it'd be hypergolic with engineers. Nope.

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3. baq ◴[] No.43537998[source]

> O3F2 sounds like it'd be hypergolic with engineers. Nope.

Engineers. Asbestos. Sand.

Can confirm 'Nope'.

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4. m4rtink ◴[] No.43539076{3}[source]

Its probably hypergolic even with Nope. ;-)

5. wiredfool ◴[] No.43539972[source]

There's also adding a bit of Flourine to one of the Fuming Nitric Acids to make it easier to handle, because of the flouridation of the surface of the tanks.