
Ignition: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (1972) [pdf] - ColinWright
https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pdf
======
LeifCarrotson
The book was out of print for a while, and this PDF was the only way to,read
it for less than $400. But now it's back in print for $17:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813595835/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813595835/)
Basically the same content, highly worth reading in either format.

He addresses the calamity that engineers don't read several times in the book
- formulations are attempted a few years after someone proved it didn't work.
Makes me wonder if a similar approach wouldn't be advisable in programming...

~~~
Varriount
It's also available on Audible in audiobook format too.

[https://www.audible.com/pd/B07CTTXLL6](https://www.audible.com/pd/B07CTTXLL6)

~~~
InternetOfStuff
Thank you for making me aware.

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ColinWright
It's been submitted before, but it's come to hand again, and I'm reminded once
more just how much of a fantastic read this is:

"A fluorine-aluminum fire is something to see - from a safe distance"

"Everyone who uses a computer has, from time to time, a mad urge to attack the
precocious abacus with an axe."

"... a fearsome cutting torch burning powdered aluminum with gaseous flourine"

I have to admit that:

    
    
        "What if I replace a hydroxide
         group with flourine"
    

is a question I've never asked myself.

~~~
JoshTriplett
My favorite quote from Ignition is this description of Chlorine Trifluoride
(CTF):

It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is
hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition
delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth,
wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which
it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural
metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film
of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the
invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the
atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no
chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a
metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always
recommended a good pair of running shoes.

~~~
ngold
That's hilarious, never thought about rust being another reason we are here
today.

~~~
Gibbon1
I've forgotten the reference but read an engineer mention they tried stainless
steel tanks for some application. And they all developed pin hole leaks from
pit corrosion in less time than it took a plain steel tank to rust through.

Also a suspended concrete ceiling above a swimming pool that fell into the
pool, thankfully at night when it was closed. The designer thought stainless
tiebars wouldn't rust in the humid environment above the pool. They didn't.
They developed chlorine mediated stress crack corrosion.

Me every time I've seen someone naive deal with a materials problem it's been
sadness and tears.

~~~
microtherion
Not sure if there were several such swimming pool incidents, but the one I
recall in Uster, Switzerland, happened during business hours and 12 people
were killed: [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-
xpm-1985-05-10-mn-18105-...](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-
xpm-1985-05-10-mn-18105-story.html)

------
orbital-decay
An amazing read which makes Kerbal Space Program look like a documentary based
on real life events. See also: Things I Won’t Work With [0] series by Derek
Lowe, another long time HN favorite on dangerous chemistry.

[0]
[https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/category/thin...](https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/category/things-
i-wont-work-with)

~~~
tonyarkles
You beat me to it! Such a wonderful read!

I pray I am never exposed to the FOOF family of chemicals :)

~~~
sq_
Never a good idea to be playing with Satan's kimchi!

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techdragon
I’d like to throw out a mention for a book that takes one of the topics from
_Ignition!_ and covers it in depth. _The Green Flame_
[https://www.amazon.com/Green-Flame-Andrew-Dequasie-
ebook/dp/...](https://www.amazon.com/Green-Flame-Andrew-Dequasie-
ebook/dp/B00C9Q06YS) is a book about the Borane fuels project, which is
covered briefly in the chapter of _Ignition!_ on exotic fuels, and will
probably be a worthwhile read for anyone who loves _Ignition!_.

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AnimalMuppet
The introduction is by Isaac Asimov (!), who says that John Clark was a great
science fiction writer, who, when he stopped writing, allowed lesser authors
like Asimov (!!!) to come to prominence. An amazing (and amazingly gracious)
statement.

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hyperion2010
The full title has a bang (!) in it, pun most assuredly intended. One of my
favorite books about science of all time, and don't miss the author of the
forward.

~~~
ColinWright
Yes, the bang was there when I submitted it, removed by the submission
process, and so I edited the title to put it back. The title as I eventually
submitted it was:

IGNITION! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants by John D. Clark

Subsequently that was modified by the mods.

------
papreclip
Another fantastic memoir you'll find recommended on chemistry blogs is Max
Gergel's _Excuse Me Sir, Would You Like to Buy a Kilo of Isopropyl Bromide?_

[http://www.sciencemadness.org/library/books/gergel_isopropyl...](http://www.sciencemadness.org/library/books/gergel_isopropyl_bromide.pdf)

------
dang
A thread from 2017:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15155394](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15155394)

2015:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10683778](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10683778)

~~~
scottlocklin
Aaaand it's still "one of the best technical books ever written."

Anyone marginally interested in the periodic table of the elements or rockets
needs to read this.

"if you, gentle reader, have never seen a nervous rocket mechanic, complete
with monkey suit, being buzzed by nine thousand demented bats and trying to
beat them off with a shovel, there is something missing from your experience.
"

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ncmncm
I will upvote this every single time it surfaces, without shame.

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alexgmcm
I have the book on my Kindle and it seems quite good but I found it hard to
read without much chemistry knowledge.

I studied Physics so there are some parts I can understand but nonetheless it
felt like I wasn't truly able to appreciate the book.

It's cool that such a specialised book exists though.

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mrfusion
My friend was wondering why we don’t use ATP as rocket fuel? You can’t get any
better than the energy currency of the cell.

~~~
ethbro
Think about it this way: are cells in the business of needing the _maximum_
amount of energy per volume / weight, at the expense of explosive instability?

Or would the be better off making a trade off for less efficient performance
in exchange for more stability and biocompatibility?

