Thursday 2 April 2020

Make Amonium Nitrate powered rocket fuel



I really like and enjoy launching home made and commercial rocket,the commercial ones are expensive and not are sold averyware so I decided to make one myself. 
I also made the fuel and the engine. All is made from the materials you can easily obtain or even have at your house right now. 

They can go up to 300 meters (1,000 ft) on this fuel. 

Warning : 
Making the fuel involves working with the ammonium nitrate, it can create helth problems and also is illegal in some places. This tutorial is for educational purposes only. If you are attempting this use propper saftey precautions, you must realize the risks you are taking if and you don't take nesesery precautions it can cause injury and helth issue's  I am not responsible for the consequences.


Step 1: Material for the Fuel

At first lets make a fuel of our rocket.
What we will need:
1. Ammonium nitrate (how to get described in the next step)
2. Baking soda
3. Water
4. Sugar
5. Jar/bucket
6. Measuring cup
7. Newspaper

Step 2: How to Get Ammonuim Nitrate

You can jest go to chemical store and buy Amonium Nitrate becuse it is not an openly sold compound due to some using it to create explosives. so let's try a easy way
Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer. It is also used in instant cold packs, as hydrating the salt is an endothermic process.
So, the easiest way to get it is to buy a cold pack. Open it and remove water from it.

Step 3: Preparation of Sodium Nitrate

Amonium Nitrate by itself cannot catch fire or combust. And high starting energy is required and reaction is immediate  and not useful. The starting requires a blasting cap or a high velocity explosion which we canot create
Use the measuring cup to add 2 cups of ammonium nitrate and 2 cups of baking soda. In this step it is important to keep the proportion. 1:1. The size of measuring cup may slightly vary, but its important to use the same one for adding everything. My cup was about 200 mL.
Add 17 measuring cups of water into soda and ammonium nitrate. Use the same cup you used abow
Boil the solution for about 30 minutes. Stir gently while boiling. After 8-10 minutes ammonia gas is going to produce,  after 15 minutes there is going to be a lot of gas producing, after about 25-30 minutes the reaction is going to stop, and no ammonia gas is going to be producing, that's how you know you are done. 

It very important that you boil this OUTSIDE. 
DO NOT boil it inside, because as you boil, ammonia gas is going to produce. Ammonia gas is very toxic if inhaled, so try not to breather it in, and its good to wear a mask as you are doing this.

After you are done with boiling, let the solution cool for 5-7 minutes. Then add one cup of sugar and mix. Now dry this mixture fully by placing it in sun for couple of days
Warning: this mixture is highly explosive so don't boil it let it dry in sun

Step 4 : Creating Rocket Body
Now use the following diagram and create an rocket body similar it two sizes are given an 2 inch and 5 inch one you can choose on of your choice the bigger one has more power and goes farther hight



In the second rocket clay is same amount but hole is 4 inches

Now for launching choose a cannon fuse of apropreate length and then place the rocket in a pvc tube or I use a sprinkler riser for it it works better and is portable
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