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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

3D printed rocket fuel

Not your normal run of the mill solid rocket fuel engine

3D printed rocket fuel

James Cook University scientists in Australia are using 3D printing to create fuels for rockets, and using tailor-made rocket motors they've built to test the fuels. "We wanted to explore the viability of using commercially available 3D printing materials in the manufacture of hybrid rocket fuel grains. We knew that the common plastic Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) has shown promise so we decided to test that against six other compounds,"

http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/aerospace6070081

So custom power and burn times as well as selective fuel types....

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: 3D printed rocket fuel

According to this reference: 'Perchlorate (ClO4−) is widespread in Martian soils at concentrations between 0.5 and 1%. At such concentrations, perchlorate could be an important source of oxygen, but it could also become a critical chemical hazard to astronauts. In this paper, we review the dual implications of ClO4− on Mars, and propose a biochemical approach for removal of perchlorate from Martian soil that would be energetically cheap, environmentally friendly and could be used to obtain oxygen both for human consumption and to fuel surface operations.'

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Al … 000000.pdf

Sounds good. The perchlorate is mostly in the form of calcium perchlorate, Ca(ClO4)2. This has a molar mass of 239, of which 128g is oxygen. Assume that Martian regolith has a bulk density of 2000kg/m2 and that 0.5% (on average) is perchlorate. That is an average of 10kg/m3. If we could fully reduce the perchlorate into calcium chloride and oxygen, then the top 1m of regolith, would release 5.4kg of oxygen per m2 of surface. If we could do that globally, it would add 0.2mbar of oxygen to the Martian atmosphere.

The regolith is between 5-10m in depth.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_soil

If it all contains perchlorate at the same concentration as the surface, then it complete decomposition would add 1.5mbar of oxygen to the Martian atmosphere.  Certainly enough to get terraforming started and a useful resource for future colonists.  Perchlorates are sometimes used on Earth to produce oxygen candles, which burn to generate oxygen in enclosed spaces where easy replenishment of atmospheric oxygen is not possible (I.e submarines).  It could also be used to manufacture solid rocket propellant and explosives.

Wondering why making return trip home with insitu materials might not be a bad idea....since solid rocket boosters seem plausible.