Attempts to increase the energy of liquid mixtures for rocket propulsion

Clearly, attempts to increase the energy liberated by liquid mixtures for rocket propulsion are based, in the first instance, on the use of those components (combustible and oxidant) which release as much heat as possible. E.g. the use of ozone as an oxidant has been discussed above (p. 309). 

It has been suggested that powdered metals, e.g. aluminium should be added to the combustible component in the form of a suspension. Stettbacher [57], for example, suggested the following equation for the combustion of a mixture of petrol with aluminium suspended in it in stoichiometric proportions  

On combustion this mixture gives ca. 2545 kcal/kg or ca. 2763 kcal/1. 

Stettbacher calls attention to the fact that powdered aluminium always contains a certain amount of aluminium oxide (up to 11 %), hence the heat of combustion is lower than that theoretically calculated. 

The significance of the addition of beryllium to the fuel is still rather theoretical. E.g. paraffin with nitric acid in stoichiometric proportions gives 1440 kcal/kg, whereas the same mixture with 7.2% and 10.0% of beryllium gives a heat effect of 2130 kcal/kg and 2480 kcal/kg, respectively. 

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Attempts to increase the energy of liquid mixtures for rocket propulsion... 

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