What is used for the motor propellant?
Most model rocket motors use black powder as their propellant. Propellant is a combination of fuel and oxidizer. Fuel is the material that burns and oxidizer is the material that supports the fuel’s combustion. Most motors larger than “D” use what are called composite propellants. They are between 2 to 3 times more powerful than black powder motors with the same size casing. There are many fuels that are used by different companies, but most burn these fuels with Ammonium Perchlorate oxidizer. Aerotech’s White Lightning motors burn powdered aluminum with Ammonium Perchlorate. Ammonium Perchlorate is also used in the Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters. The SRBs are the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown and the first designed for reuse. There are other more specialized propellants (Hybrids) used in high power rocketry as well.
