Propellant

Abstract

The present invention relates to a propellant in liquid or gel form, in particular for rocket engines, comprising: —an inorganic salt as the oxidising agent, wherein the inorganic salt has an oxygen content of at least 60 weight %; and —a solvent as the fuel, comprising a monovalent or divalent alcohol, a nitroalkane and/or an ionic liquid in which nitrate is the anion, wherein the solvent has an oxygen content of from 30 to 55 weight %, wherein the inorganic salt is dissolved in the solvent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A propellant in liquid or gel form for rocket engines, comprising:
 an inorganic salt as the oxidising agent, wherein the inorganic salt has an oxygen content of at least 60 weight %; and   a solvent as the fuel, comprising a monovalent or divalent alcohol, a nitroalkane and/or an ionic liquid in which nitrate is the anion, wherein the solvent has an oxygen content of from 30 to 55 weight %,   wherein the inorganic salt is dissolved in the solvent.   
     
     
         2 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the inorganic salt is selected from lithium nitrate, lithium dinitramide, lithium perchlorate or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the proportion of inorganic salt in the propellant is from 15 to 65 weight %. 
     
     
         4 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the solvent comprises ethanol, methanol or n-butanol. 
     
     
         5 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the solvent comprises nitromethane or nitroethane. 
     
     
         6 . The propellant according to  claim 4 , in which the solvent additionally comprises a further alcohol and/or a carbonate ester. 
     
     
         7 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the solvent comprises an ionic liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The propellant according to  claim 7 , in which the solvent additionally comprises an alcohol. 
     
     
         9 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the propellant contains no water. 
     
     
         10 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the propellant further comprises a thickening agent, which is selected from polyacrylic acids, pyrogenic silicon dioxides, micro- to nano-scale metal powders, titanium dioxide nanoparticles and/or carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         11 . The propellant according to  claim 10 , in which the metal powder is selected from aluminium, magnesium, aluminium/magnesium alloys, boron, iron and zirconium. 
     
     
         12 . The propellant according to  claim 10 , in which the proportion of thickening agent is up to 10 weight %. 
     
     
         13 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the propellant further comprises one or more hydrides of light metals, which are selected from AlH 3 , NaBH 4  and/or AlLiH 4 . 
     
     
         14 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , further comprising a further oxidising agent, which is selected from the nitrates and perchlorates of ammonium, sodium and potassium. 
     
     
         15 . The propellant according to  claim 1 , in which the propellant has a density of from 900 to 1700 kg/m 3 ; and/or in which, for combustion, the propellant has an oxygen balance of from 0 to −50%. 
     
     
         16 . The propellant according to  claim 4 , in which the proportion of inorganic salt in the propellant is from 50 to 65 weight %. 
     
     
         17 . The propellant according to  claim 5 , in which the proportion of inorganic salt in the propellant is from 10 to 40 weight %. 
     
     
         18 . The propellant according to  claim 7 , in which the ionic liquid is ethylammonium nitrate. 
     
     
         19 . The propellant according to  claim 7 , in which the proportion of inorganic salt in the propellant is from 10 to 40 weight %.