Category Scope

28 Propellants and Fuels

Includes rocket propellants, igniters, and oxidizers; their storage and handling procedures; and aircraft fuels. For nuclear fuels see 73 Nuclear Physics. For related information see also 07 Aircraft Propulsion and Power; 20 Spacecraft Propulsion and Power; and 44 Energy Production and Conversion.

Definition

Propellants – Any agent used for consumption or combustion in rockets and from which the rockets derive their thrust such as fuels, oxidizers, additives, catalysts, or any compounds or mixtures of these. NASA Thesaurus, Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Fuels – Any substance used to produce heat, either by chemical or nuclear reaction, as used, e.g., in a heat engine. NASA Aeronautical Dictionary. Frank Davis Adams, ed., 1959.

NASA Interest

Exhaustive Interest : Physical, chemical, and mechanical properties; testing, evaluation, storage and handling procedures of rocket propellants and aircraft fuels. For facilities to store or handle fuels or propellants see 09 Research and Support Facilities (Air); and 14 Ground Support Systems and Facilities (Space).

Selective Interest : Research and development of fuels and propellants for earthbound transportation systems and power production that have potential aerospace applications.

Negative Interest : Routine developments of fuels for marine, automotive, home heating, heavy industry, and other earthbound applications.

Input Subjects of Specific Interest