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New Aluminum-Ice Rocket Propellant Tested

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the burn-it-up dept.

eldavojohn writes "With the problem of moving conventional rocket fuel to the Moon and Mars on their minds, researchers from Purdue and Penn State successfully tested and demonstrated the use of aluminum-ice (ALICE) as fuel. In a paper from last August they outlined how it would work (PDF), and now they know it does. Space.com also has more information on the paper and how nano-scale aluminum functions as a fuel."

5 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. In other words by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Fly me to the moon. Let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.

    We spend so much time arguing with each other here on Slashdot, but when it comes down to it, we're all in this together. We are going to need to secure a future for future generations, so putting an effort into developing non-volatile fuels which can be formulated anywhere is one huge step towards getting off this rock.

    Aluminum is plentiful anywhere we intend to go. This could really be the breakthrough that we've been looking for.

    In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you.

  2. ALICE? by LocutusMIT · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of these days, ALICE. Wham! Pow! Straight to the Moon!

    1. Re:ALICE? by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Informative

      You may be too young to remember, but it was acceptable and even funny to beat your wife in the '50's.

      Get off my lawn or one of these days...POW! Right in the kisser!

  3. Its seeing things like this .. by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Informative

    that highlight the safety instructions I've had at Aluminium plants. You never, ever, ever drop anything like used aluminium cans into the feed that is headed for melt shop as any bit of liquid still in the can will cause a rather powerful explosion

    --
    I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    1. Re:Its seeing things like this .. by mangu · · Score: 5, Informative

      You never, ever, ever drop anything like used aluminium cans into the feed that is headed for melt shop as any bit of liquid still in the can will cause a rather powerful explosion

      It's also a known rule that you use sand, never water, to extinguish a fire where molten aluminum is present.

      However, the biggest danger from dropping aluminum cans in the melt is from the steam expansion, not from burning aluminum. Having *any* humidity at all where molten metal runs, any metal, not just aluminum, will produce large quantities of steam, which will expand explosively throwing molten metal all around.

      I know this from personal experience, when I was about twelve years old I was burned while melting lead to make fishing weights. I dropped the mold in water to cool it and the next time I poured metal in it I got a spray of molten lead right in my face. Lucky me, none of it hit my eyes.