Preparation of ceramic rocket nozzles

By KiT

Summary: The procedure in the document outlies the creation of a ceramic de laval nozzle primarily
composed of alumina (Al2O3) and silicone dioxide created by sintering at a low refractory temperature
(Below 1500C)

The sintered ceramic is extremely hard and abrasive and do to the high alumina content will survive the
pressures and exhaust temperature of common sugar-based propellants.

Preparation:
Starting materials:
Aluminum Oxide, 50 micron or finer,
Sodium Silicate solution 40%
Carbon Dioxide source,
Nozzle mold
Procedure:
Start by assembling your nozzle mold (ref 01) but leave the top portion out of the assembly for now.

Ref 01

Fill the mold cavity up to the top with the alumina them empty it out in to a measuring dish and weigh it
In my case that comes out to 22.51g of Al2O3. Write down the measurement.

Next transfer the alumina to a suitable mixing container (metal or plastic is fine, avoid glass)
To the alumina add 10% of the previously measured mass in sodium silicate, in my case that comes out
to 2.25g of sodium silicate.
Add it to the alumina and mix vigorously for at least five minutes. At the end of mixing the alumina
should keep its shape when pressed.

Transfer the wet alumina in to the mold in increments. Fill up about 1/3 of the mold at a time and tamp
it down with any appropriate tool (in my case I used an 8mm wide steel dowel).
After filling up the mold put the top section back on and press the mold assembly with at least 50kg of
force. A vise is good but weights or just standing on it will work fine.

Next take the closed mold and put it in to a plastic bag and fill it with CO2. Leave the closed mold in the
bag for at least 2 hours, after that take off the top cap of the mold while it’s still in the bag without
opening it.
Let the uncapped mold sit in the CO2 bag for an additional 4 to 6 hours. After which take it out and
carefully disassemble the mold, making sure to not damage the green part.
Let the part sit in a warm area (30C or above) for another 6 hours.

Firing:
Once the part has finished curing and drying it's time to fire it to complete the sintering process.

Take the green part and put it in to a gas kiln or use a blow torch, it is important that the firing
atmosphere is reducing to fully cure the sodium silicate.
Heat the part up to at least 1000C (orange heat) and hold it there for 5 to 10 minutes. If you properly
cured it and dried it there is no need to worry about heating rate.

After the firing the part should be substantially harder but the procedure is not done yet.
Once it has fully cooled down to room temperature take the part and brush on 7ml of sodium silicate (I
have found that this is a good amount for my size nozzle 25x30mm, if yours is bigger or smaller change
the size by a factor of two from the corresponding size of the mentioned nozzle I used) and let it dry for
another 2 hours.

After the coated part has dried fire it again to at least 1000c and hold it for the same amount of time as
the first firing.

If you’ve done everything right you should have an extremely hard and temperature resistant nozzle
that can be epoxied in or fastened with other means to an engine body.
Nozzle after the double firing