Student Making Home-Brewed Rocket Fuel On Stovetop Causes Chaos In Dorm

https://www.iflscience.com ^ | 24 FEBRUARY 2022 | Jack Dunhill

[Red Badger]

Maybe.............

[Abathar]

Buddy of mine blew the door off the over and embedded it in the cabinets on the other side in our apartment during college. He (we) were drying our explosives (sodium chlorate infused paper towel, the quicker picker upper) and we needed it to be completely dehydrated.

Oops, I was in my bedroom and I head the commotion, opened the door and could not see my hand in front of my face the smoke was so think.

Never pulled a battery out of a smoke alarm faster in my life.

[GingisK]

Already posted

[RayChuang88]

This is why they make rocket fuel at facilities with a LOT of firefighting capability nearby.

[ExSES]

At age 15, living at Patrick AFB (now Patrick SFB) I regularly brewed rocket fuel for our launching pad on the sand dunes just South of the Base property. On one occasion, a predictable "event" occurred which triggered a large BOOM and a column of smoke! The Air Police rapidly came to the site..., and we "Chemists" watched the spectacle while in our bathing suits on the beach.... Just one of a few of my nine lives expended....

[Honest Nigerian]

Mostly peaceful (cooking) demonstration. LOL

[GingisK]

I’m here to tell you that a propane torch on the side of the tin can is poor practice.

[GingisK]

If he made it to the melting stage, there would be no other place to pour it that would make sense.

[jonrick46]

I did the same in my mom’s kitchen. I was cooking a mixture of sugar and salt peter on the stove so I could pour the melted caramelized mixture into a small cardboard tube for a rocket fuel test. The burner got too hot and it ignited. Fortunately, it only spewed out a white cloud that had no scent. I opened up the kitchen window and the cloud dispersed before my mom came home from shopping.

[Red Badger]

You’re lucky you didn’t burn the house down................

[longtermmemmory]

years ago, somebody would hire this kid right away...

[Keyhopper]

Throw in some sulphur and some ground charcoal.
Use confectioners sugar......shhhh

[ViLaLuz]

Back in the 80s a stupid U. Of Buffalo kid stole a human skull from a nearby cemetery. He was boiling it in the dorm kitchenette to “clean it up.” The foul odor that permeated the floor is how he got caught. He received criminal charges.