From: gherbert@crl3.crl.com (George Herbert)
Newsgroups: sci.military.naval
Subject: Re: Phosphorus Victim
Date: 18 Jan 2000 17:07:53 -0800

D. Scott Ferrin <sferrin@xmission.com> wrote:
>>Magnesium forms a stronger bond with Oxygen than
>>Hydrogen thus the Hydrogen disassociates and
>>Magnesium Oxide  is  formed
>
>So here's something I've wondered about for a long time.  How come
>they don't use powdered magnesium in solid propellant in place of
>powdered aluminum?  Seems like it would burn hotter (more energy).

Cost, primarily.  It's marginally better but a lot more
expensive than Aluminum is.  Some solid propellants require it:
ammonium nitrate doesn't burn hot enough to burn the oxide
layer off of aluminum particles, but magnesium has no such
barrier and combusts quite nicely with AN oxidizer.
Also burn rate issues, etc.  With perchlorates it burns
faster than most rockets find useful.


-george william herbert
gherbert@crl.com