From: del@branta.demon.co.uk   
      
   On Fri, 28 Jan 2005, in sci.space.tech,   
   "Cray74@gmail.com"  said:   
      
   >Peter Fairbrother wrote:   
   >>Reading the thread about cryogenic plastics, I thought it might be an   
   >>idea to use (reinforced? with what?) polythene for the tanks of my   
   >>LH2/LOX second stage* goods version.   
   >   
   >Would polyethylene (PE) be compatible with LOX? PE is   
   >just a very long chain hydrocarbon, the really big brother   
   >of paraffin, kerosene, and propane.   
      
   Shrug.  We let rust get in contact with aluminium all the time without   
   worrying about the thermite reaction.  In fact the reaction between   
   aluminium and oxygen is even more energetic than that between aluminium   
   and iron oxide, and rocket scientists actually make liquid oxygen tanks   
   out of aluminium!  Clearly this dangerous practice must stop.   
      
   --   
   Del Cotter   
   Thanks to the recent increase in UBE, I will soon be ignoring email   
   sent to del@branta.demon.co.uk.  Please send your email to del2 instead.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)