White lightning propellant Question

WL seems to be more sensitive to humidity. They do fine until you open the sealed pack. I've had a couple grains swell so much they would no longer fit inthe liner tube. One from a 3-pack of E18s I gave to the local Fire Dept inspectors who checked out my stuff to take back and burn in their burn pit.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Magnesium to Magnesiuim oxide.

Jerry Irvine wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Thank you,Jerry.

kaplow snipped-for-privacy@encompasserve.org.TRABoD (Bob Kaplow) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@eisner.encompasserve.org:

Mine have been stored in closed ziploc bags inside a second,gallon-size ziploc bag,inside my closed range box.(Humid Florida,of course) I didn't think that much moisture would get to the slugs,inside those ziplocs.I had separated them to make individual reload kits from the 3- packs.

The slugs are inside the liners,and they don't slide anymore,and the exposed end bulges slightly,and I see that the slot has partially closed.

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns96717BABB582Fjyanikkuanet@129.250.170.86:

I forgot to ask;how's that affect the propellant performance? (MgO instead of Mg.)

Would suggest adding little silica gel packets from, say, vitamin bottles and such.

You're welcome.

See, civil chat IS possible.

MgO "stabilizes" the burn just as well. it reduces the smoke very slightly (no way you could detect it).

The main "problem's" are dimensional change and hard to ignite surface.

The tight grains can be solved by taking off a thin layer of paper. The surface can be sanded down.

Both are "manufacturing" issues and should rightly be treated as warranty issues.

Jerry

Jerry Irvine wrote in news:01rocket- snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

These have been stored a long time after opening the original packaging. I would not dream of trying to turn them in a warranty claim.

I wonder what would happen if MgO were used in manufacturing instead of pure Mg;would it eliminate swelling(at the cost of more difficult to ignite)?

It wouldn't be "white lightning".

The best oxidizer in the package is the apc. You coul probably store them in dry nitrogen and eventually run into the same problem.

What about storing in a fridge or freezer? Lower temp should reduce oxidation rates by a factor of two for every 10 degrees C the temp drops.

Really?

The "white" output is indeed MgO.

Thank you once again for demonstrating your knowledge.

The IPS would be considerably lower - the burning Mg contributes to the combustion heat and the ISP. But, you already knew that!

Also, the burning Mg dispurses the MgO into a cloud of very fine MgO mist, whereas spewing granular MgO directly from the propellant wouldn't make the dense white smoke.

That fact is inconvenient, so jerry ignored it.

That fact is also inconvenient to jerry, he ignored it also.

Thanks, jerry, maybe you should try it for once in your life.

Would be curious to know why they would want to add MgO; however adding Mg could have the effect of adding small quantities of MgO as an impurity. That material could then combine with the NH4ClO4 to produce Mg (ClO4)2, which is so hygroscopic, it is used as a desiccant.

-Larry (That, combined with the atomic fallout in the atmosphere...) C.

Which is likely what is causing the caking and expansion of WL grains over time.