Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant - Model Applications

Model Applications

Commercial APCP rocket engines usually come in the form of re-loadable motor systems (RMS) and fully-assembled single use rocket motors. For RMS, the APCP "grains" (cylinders of propellant) are loaded into the reusable motor casing along with a sequence of insulator disks and o-rings and a (graphite or glass-filled phenolic resin) nozzle. The motor casing and closures are typically bought separately from the motor manufacturer and are often precision machined aluminum. The assembled RMS contains both reusable (typically metal) and disposable components.

The major APCP suppliers for hobby use are:

• Aerotech Consumer Aerospace
• Animal Motor Works
• Cesaroni Technology
• Kosdon (by Aerotech)
• Loki Research

To achieve different visual effects and flight characteristics, hobby APCP suppliers offer a variety of different characteristic propellant types. These can range in from fast burning with little smoke and blue flame to classic white smoke and white flame. In addition, colored formulations are available to display reds, greens, blues, and even flameless black smoke.

In medium and high power rocket applications, APCP has largely replaced black powder as a rocket propellant. Compacted black powder slugs become prone to fracture in larger applications, which can result in catastrophic failure in rocket vehicles. APCP's elastic material properties makes it less vulnerable to fracture from accidental shock or high acceleration flights. Due to these attributes, widespread adoption of APCP and related propellant types in the hobby has significantly enhanced the safety of rocketry.