C-Stoff
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C-Stoff ("C substance") was a reductant used in bipropellant rocket fuels (as a fuel itself) developed by Hellmuth Walter Kommanditgesellschaft in Germany during World War 2. It was developed for use with T-Stoff (a high test peroxide), which could also be ignited by a simple catalyst solution, Z-Stoff.
| Methanol | CH3OH | ~57% by Weight |
| Hydrazine hydrate | N2H4 . H2O | ~30% by Weight |
| Water | H2O | ~13% by Weight |
| Catalyst 431 | K3[Cu(CN)4] |
The proportions of the components in C-Stoff were developed to catalyse the decomposition of T-Stoff, promote combustion with the oxygen released by the decomposition, and sustain uniform combustion through sufficient quantity of the highly reactive hydrazine. The combination of the C-Stoff, used as a rocket fuel, with the T-Stoff used as the oxidizer, often resulted in spontaneous explosion from their combined nature as a hypergolic fuel combination, necessitating strict hygiene in fueling operations; there were numerous catastrophic explosions of the Messerschmitt Me 163 aircraft which employed this fuel system. Another hazard was toxicity to humans of each of the fuels.
[edit] C-fuel
After the war, Allied studies into rocket propellants continued with engines such as the Armstrong Siddeley Beta, under the name 'C-fuel'.
[edit] See also
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