Ok, now we are sooo off topic, isn't Aluminium linked to Alzheimers? I remember one of my daughters eager to show me the dancing lightning of a CD disk in the microwave they were shown at school one day (!) now as far as I know the "shiny" of a mass produced/pressed CD is aluminium, so the fumes will contain at least some vapourised aluminium.. I can hear it now, "don't try this at home kids, unless you use a recordable CD" Jim -----Original Message----- From: pic microcontroller discussion list [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Russell McMahon Sent: 02 March 2004 04:57 To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: [OT:] Chemical discussions (was RE: ] My first PCB production) > That's interesting. I spoke with a representative of NASA one time > at Kennedy Space Flight Center. I asked him what the solid booster > fuel was; he said "ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder in a rubber > bonding matrix." It's ammonium perchlorate plus aluminium in a rubber matrix And, FWIW: Space Shuttle: SRBs Al 16%, Ammonium Perchlorate 69.83%, Iron Oxide (catalyst) 0.17%, Binder & Curing 14%) Binder is PBAN (polybutylacrylonitrile =- slightly less Isp than now more common HTPB 2,650,000lbf at launch 2 minutes burn, 149 feet x 12 ft dia. 1,300,000 lbm at launch Space Shuttle SRB specification. Total Propellant Weight 1106280 lbf Total RSRM weight 1255592 lbf Max thrust vacuum 3060000 lbf Burn time 123.7 sec Assembled motor length 1513 inch Case diam 146 INCH Prop mass fraction - motor 88.2% Templimits 40 F to 120 F Chamb pressure max / avg 910 / 662 psia Specific impulse altitude 268.2 sec Burn rate 0.434 in/sec % liftoff thrust 71.4% RSRM nozzle characteristics Type Contoured or Bell TVC Flexible bearing - 8 deg from centreline Expansion area ratio 7.72 Throat diam 53.86 inch Exit diameter 178.75 inch Nozzle weight 23,941 lbf Max pressure 1,1016 psi ??? Materials 9 liners carbon cloth phenolic Bonded to 6 steel & Al housings. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads