Thoughtventions Cryostabilized Propellant Research

Why H₂ Crystals?

This is an ongoing, labor intensive work, please be patient for links and updates. E-mail thought@Thoughtventions.com with questions.

The first choice as an inert matrix for creating a cryostabilized additive mixture is H₂. Hydrogen was chosen because:

1) Stability

It is the lowest temperature cryocrystal, leading to the maximum thermal stability and minimum thermal diffusion for the additive.

2) Superior Crystals

For relevance to propulsion, the matrix should be either solid H₂ or solid O₂; solid O₂ does not form good crystals at low temperature as a result of a large volume change between the β and lowest temperature α phase.

3) Experience

Solid H₂ is the most well-known of any of the van der Waals cryosolids, both experimentally and theoretically. As a result of its simple structure, the properties of solid H₂ are theoretically predictable to an extent that is not possible for any other material. A great deal of matrix isolation work has been done using solid H₂, and many of its properties are well established, together with the properties of embedded impurities.

Contact Stephen Bates (thought@Thoughtventions.com) with questions.

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Last updated: July 2015