What are rocket fuel made of?
Most rocket fuels consist of a minimum of two components: a fuel that can burn, and and oxidiser, which allows the fuel to burn. Rocket fuels can be either solid, or liquid (gases are not commonly used, due to their low density), or a mixture of both. The oldest rocket fuel is black gun powder, which consists of potassium nitrate (the oxidiser), and charcoal (the fuel). The Nitrate ion is a very powerful oxidiser becuase it contains the nitrogen atom in a +5 oxidation state. The charcoal can burn very rapidly in the presnence of this nitrate, and produces CO2 when it burns. This rapid evolution of hot CO2 is what provides the propulsion of the rocket. Other common oxidisers used are: solid oxidisers such as ammonium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate etc. Liquid oxidisers include liquid oxygen, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide etc. Liquid fuels include kerosene (especially with liquid oxygen), liquid hyrogen, hydrazine, ammonia etc.
