Shownotes
Today, we will look at how China's scientists are developing a boron-inside missile that could change how we think about warfare.
Boron is a highly reactive element that reacts violently with air and water, liberating a tremendous amount of heat. It is widely used in propellants, ranging from jet liquid fuels to solid nanotube fuel sources for hypersonic rocket engines.
Transcripts
Welcome back to the Borates Today podcast.
Brendan:Each week we cover news on boron and borates that's relevant to the
Brendan:industry and timely with a range of topics, including the latest
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on our website:borates.today.
on our website:Today, we will look at how China's scientists are developing a
on our website:boron-inside missile that could change how we think about warfare.
on our website:Boron is a highly reactive element that reacts violently with air and water
on our website:liberating, a tremendous amount of heat.
on our website:It is widely used in propellants, ranging from jet liquid fuels
on our website:to solid nanotube fuel sources for hypersonic rocket engines.
on our website:According to a recent study published in the September 22 issue of the
on our website:journal, Solid Rocket Technology in China, an expert team from Changsha
on our website:Airspace Science and Engineering College detailed their plan for developing
on our website:boron-based rocket engines that could one day power China's missiles.
on our website:This development came after the United States air force conducted similar studies
on our website:back in the 1950s that could enhance the strength of its supersonic bombers.
on our website:The US military had been looking for a better fuel than conventional
on our website:aviation fuel, which is made from fossil fuels and contains hydrogen.
on our website:The problem is that these hydrocarbons don't generate enough energy per
on our website:unit, even though they're easier to regulate due to carbon-based civilian
on our website:gasoline packs bound together.
on our website:They did not even fulfill the military's demand for supersonic jets capable
on our website:of flying halfway around the world.
on our website:As a result, American engineers chose boron and introduced a new family of
on our website:fuels focused on hydro-boron substances.
on our website:boranes or zip fuels to improve upon the existing jet engine technology.
on our website:Due to their energy, these fuels were very appealing at first.
on our website:They were designed to be applied with the strategic bomber long range.
on our website:Interceptors and BOMARC missiles.
on our website:They were also thought to be able to transform the existing jet
on our website:engines for burning boranes..
on our website:However, the project was quietly dropped in 1959 since ignited boron is difficult
on our website:to control and creates debris layers that interfere with rocket effectiveness.
on our website:Also eight volunteers bled to death during accidents involving zip energy usage.
on our website:However, recently the race to develop hypersonic vehicles has
on our website:reawakened interest in boron.
on our website:Last year, china's activities were directed at air-breathing
on our website:scramjet propellers that use a solid fuel containing nanoparticles
on our website:of borane to propel missiles to speeds of five Mach or higher.
on our website:The United States is also developing boron-based fuels.
on our website:The US Navy sponsored initiatives last year for a new research
on our website:project to discover a boron form or a boron-based chemical pathway
on our website:that finally led to the borane incorporation in energetic substances,
on our website:Particularly solid and liquid fuels.
on our website:Researchers have found that the allotropes may overcome issues
on our website:including incomplete, combustion and toxicity in boron-based fuels.
on our website:The same element allotropes can have drastically different characteristics.
on our website:For example, diamond and graphite, are carbon allotropes.
on our website:The idea is that combining a new boron allotrope with another
on our website:chemical substance could result in an efficient non-toxic fuel.
on our website:The United States researchers are also investigating the potential for
on our website:boron usage in hypersonic aircraft.
on our website:Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are currently used in specific aircraft frameworks
on our website:since they can resist high temperatures when an aircraft moves at high speeds.
on our website:But NASA and Binghamton University engineers released a research paper
on our website:in 2017, sponsored by the US Navy, and discovered that a boron and nitrogen
on our website:combination could develop nanotubes for aircraft structures that can
on our website:travel at the speed of 6,400 kilometers an hour or 4,000 miles per hour.
on our website:While carbon nanotubes can survive temperatures as high as 450 degrees
on our website:centigrade, boron nitride nanotubes can survive up to 900 degrees centigrade.
on our website:Furthermore, BNNTs are lighter and more durable than CNTs and have high tensile
on our website:strength, chemical stability, and thermal stability, making them perfect for
on our website:supersonic or hypersonic jet structures.
on our website:A Changsha China-based research team have developed a boron-powered
on our website:Ram jet engine that could operate in the air and underwater.
on our website:This is surprising because most engines are intended to
on our website:operate solely on airplane fuel.
on our website:Because of the high water reactivity, researchers generally prefer
on our website:aluminum or magnesium as propellants for super-cavitation torpedoes.
on our website:Researcher Lee and his team found an effective way to keep the boron's burn
on our website:efficiency in various environments by modifying some components such
on our website:as intake valves or exhaust nozzles.
on our website:As the team continued researching and developing, they decided to increase
on our website:the boron percentage in the fuel.
on our website:This was done to achieve a higher level of thrust than could be
on our website:achieved with aluminum in water.
on our website:However, this decision also brought challenges regarding mass manufacturing,
on our website:combustion and ignition control.
on our website:These challenges can be addressed by adjusting the boron particles,
on our website:enhancing the production process and researching grain mass properties.
on our website:Boron-based fuels offer many advantages over traditional fuels.
on our website:But one significant challenge is controlling the burning process.
on our website:This can be difficult to regulate because boron powder acts when
on our website:implanted into the combustors.
on our website:This poses a risk to countries such as China, which highly depends on biofuels
on our website:in mass produced weapons systems.
on our website:Most of China's boron ore deposits come from outside the country,
on our website:especially the United States.
on our website:This dependence could cause significant issues as the supply is interrupted.
on our website:China's boron-powered supersonic missile is intended to fly like a commercial
on our website:plane and swim in the ocean as a torpedo.
on our website:This would give it a much greater range and speed than any previous torpedo.
on our website:The implications of this technology are enormous and it could potentially
on our website:transform the way we fight wars.
on our website:According to the article in September 2022 in the South China Morning Post,
on our website:the 5 meter long or 16.4 foot missile would have up to 200 kilometers or 124
on our website:miles range, and could travel at two and a half times the speed of sound at
on our website:almost 10,000 meters, or 32,800 feet.
on our website:The missile can reportedly have evades detection by low diving and skimming the
on our website:soundwave for a maximum of 20 kilometers.
on our website:When the object is within 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles, the missile will gain
on our website:super-captivating speed and move at approximately a 100 meters per second,
on our website:creating a giant air bubble surrounding the water, reducing drag significantly.
on our website:The anti-ship missile could even alter course or dive under water for
on our website:a maximum of a 100 meters to avoid being hit by defensive systems.
on our website:Lead scientists, Li Pengfe and his team say that no established ship
on our website:defense system was ever intended for this fast and multimedia attack.
on our website:As a result of their invention of the boron-powered ram jet engine, they
on our website:increased the boron content in the fuel.
on our website:Boron initially accounted for 30% of the overall fuel in the space missile
on our website:due to numerous other chemicals needed to regulate and extend the combustion.
on our website:The team have now invented a supersonic Ram jet engine enclosing approximately
on our website:60% boron that would generate significant thrust in air or water.
on our website:According to the paper on the development of this cross-media Ram jet engine,
on our website:the fuel rich, solid propellant melts with airflow or seawater joining it
on our website:to achieve high temperature gas, which further creates thrust fire nozzles.
on our website:The race is on to develop new initiatives and missiles of
on our website:warfare using boron inside.
Brendan:And that's all from Borates Today.
Brendan:For more information on topics related to boron and borates,
Brendan:forget to check out our website.
Brendan:borates.today and our YouTube channel and podcasts.
