ProCast will come to you as a kit, you will need to mix the ingredients and Cast or Dip your Starters. Please read the information below carefully. Mixing the kit is very simple, just follow the directions included. If you lose your direction page I will keep one available here on my site. The link to the Documentation Page is provided above. ProCast can be cast into any shape desired. Use Acetone resistant plastics for molds. I have had success using plastic soda straws. Hold the straw up right and poke an open end into the mix. When you have reached the desired size simply cut it off. The casting can also be cut into nice sized pellets. Never use ProCast outside of the manufacturers intended use.
ProCast Pyrogen is based on the motor-starter formulation used in most professional solid rocket motors today: boron/potassium nitrate (BKNO3). Per gram, it has at least two times the heat output and gas generation of typical pyrogens used in hobby rocketry and amateur rocketry.
The commercial and military types of BKNO3 are formed as pressed pellets manufactured with remotely-operated equipment using a minimal amount of nitrocellulose resin (NC) as a binder. The process is unsafe for the hobbyist to try without investing in the necessary equipment and understanding the risks. In addition, the final product with NC binder is dry and brittle, and too large to use in smaller rocket motors.
ProCast Pyrogen was developed by John DeMar as an alternative to pressed pellets. This high-performance pyrogen uses uncured Viton™ as the binder. Viton™ is a fluoroelastomer which forms a rubbery solid to hold together the BKNO3 powdered ingredients. Dissolved and diluted in acetone, the resulting paste allows dipping the pyrogen for smaller motors or casting pellets for larger motors. In addition to making the pyrogen less sensitive to mix and use, Viton™ provides additional energy to the motor starter: it contains 66% fluorine which is released in the reaction. The reaction products contain more heat, more hot liquids, and more gas per gram to pressurize the motor.
Other advantages of ProCast Pyrogen: it works over a wide range of temperatures and pressures; it is less sensitive to static discharge and friction; and it will start using e-matches, conductive bridges, and nichrome starters.
The boron powder provided with the ProCast Pyrogen kit is a mil-spec, high-purity form of amorphous boron with a very small particle size. Typical boron powder or boron crystals will not perform well as a pyrogen ingredient. Likewise, the Viton™ must be in the raw/uncured form and not the cured/vulcanized form used in Viton™ o-rings and gaskets. QuickBurst has procured the necessary high quality bulk ingredients that are otherwise not accessible in small quantities to rocketry hobbyists.
ProCast Pyrogen is 2 to 3 times more efficient than common pyrogens used in hobby and amateur rocketry. Be careful not to oversize ProCast dipped starters or pellets!
The amount of ProCast Pyrogen and its shape depend on both the motor’s core diameter and length.
INPUTS:
D = ID of the motor core at the top grain, in inches.
L = the length of the motor’s propellant core, in inches
P = the desired pressure developed in the core, in PSI (typically use 200-300 PSI).
W = the “impetus” (ability to generate gas) of the pyrogen, in PSI-in3/gram. Use 5000 for ProCast Pyrogen for inches cubed. PSI-in^3/gram.
OUTPUTS:
M = mass of the pyrogen, in grams.
S = size of the pyrogen surface length, in inches (for dipped motor starters).
N = number of pellets (for pellet basket motor starters).
CALCULATIONS:
1) Find the core volume: V = π * D2/4 * L (in3)
2) Find the pyrogen mass: M = V * P / W (grams)
3) Find the pyrogen size for dipped starters or the number of pellets for basket-type starters:
S = D * 1.5 (pyrogen length in inches for dipped starters, or length of the pellet basket)
N = M / p (p is the mass per pellet: p=0.42g for ¼” pellets or p=1.43g for 3/8” pellets
Do not use this product outside of the manufacturers intended use.
ProCast Intended Use as defined by the manufacturer – ProCast is designed to be used for starting Amateur (hobby) Rocket Motors only, any other use is outside of the manufacturers Intended Use
Earn Reward Points: 38
Earn Discount: $1.14
