16 replies to this topic

[jcow]

What is 'corn syrup' (also known as karo syrup) to us english chaps? I thought it could be golden syrup, but this isnt made out of maize. I need to know what this is for the syrup rocket propellant. This site has the recipe and videos of propellant burning http://www.jamesyawn.com The site also says dextrose can be used instead, where can this be found in british stores?

Edited by jcow, 27 March 2006 - 09:11 PM.

[fishy1]

corn syrup is glucose syrup i believe.

[EnigmaticBiker]

What is 'corn syrup' (also known as karo syrup) to us english chaps? I thought it could be golden syrup, but this isnt made out of maize. I need to know what this is for the syrup rocket propellant. This site has the recipe and videos of propellant burning http://www.jamesyawn.com The site also says dextrose can be used instead, where can this be found in british stores?

A easy cheapish source of dextrose (glucose) is home brewing shops (sold as brewing sugar) or chemists (more expensive). I prefer to use it for beer myself.

(about ?1.50/kg as brewing sugar)

[fishy1]

A easy cheapish source of dextrose (glucose) is home brewing shops (sold as brewing sugar) or chemists (more expensive). I prefer to use it for beer myself.

(about ?1.50/kg as brewing sugar)

ah, glucose=dextrose, i picked some up recently for ?0.69 for 1kg.

i think i got it at safeway, and used it for rockets. a much cheaper and easier option than glucose syrup, the syrup is sticky as hell, and expensive, but the dextrose is much easier to handle.

[Mumbles]

Actually, dextrose and glucose are not the same. However they are extremely similar. The only difference is in one a hydroxyl is up, while in the other, the hydroxyl is down. This really only plays a role in biological mechanisms, and not combustion, so they will be pretty much interchangeable in rockets.

http://www.greenspir...ces/glucose.gif
http://www.mpfineche...mula/199013.gif

[pyromaniac303]

When making KNO3/Sucrose rockets I couldn't find corn syrup either, and substituted it with honey. I dont know whether it was better or worse though as I have never been able to get corn syrup.

I think that corn syrup is HCFS or High Fructose Corn Syrup that is used by the food industry to sweeten things, as fructose is sweeter than sugar. If anyone has any contacts in the food industry then they may be able to get some, but I havent been able to find it in the kind of quantities that I need, it's mainly sold in industrial quantities over here.

Also one of the american members could give us more information, I heard its sold in Wal Mart.

[EnigmaticBiker]

I think that corn syrup is HCFS or High Fructose Corn Syrup that is used by the food industry to sweeten things, as fructose is sweeter than sugar. If anyone has any contacts in the food industry then they may be able to get some, but I havent been able to find it in the kind of quantities that I need, it's mainly sold in industrial quantities over here.

That sounds like "Invert sugar", hydrolysed sucrose, which is a mixture of L-glucose and fructose. Might be available here under that name.

It's made using an enzyme called invertase (or sucrase) apparently.

[Frozentech]

Also one of the american members could give us more information, I heard its sold in Wal Mart.

It's sold almost everywhere, under the name brand "Karo"

[jcow]

i think honey is high in fructose, i've found that you can substitute corn syrup with dextrose,fructose with a little water. i think i can get the fructose from a supermarket or health food shop. not sure where to get dextrose or glucose syrup though.

[jcow]

right, looked on wikipedia and found the translation,


'Corn syrup, known as glucose syrup outside Canada and the United States, is a syrup made from corn starch and composed mainly of glucose. A series of three enzymatic reactions is used to convert the corn starch to corn syrup. It is used to sweeten soft drinks, ice cream, ketchup, some breads, and many other mass-produced foods. Its liquid form keeps foods moist and prevents them from quickly spoiling. In many areas, it is less expensive than sucrose (table sugar) due to agricultural policy; for example, the United States subsidizes corn syrup production while imposing tariffs on sugar imports.'

Edited by jcow, 28 March 2006 - 05:28 PM.

[fishy1]

sainsbury's sell glucose syrup in wee jars for making icing for cakes, but i don't know any other places that carry it. i have about 500g, which is a fair amount.

[jcow]

i bought 560g (4x140g pots of glucose syrup) for ?4.20, i made my preliminary batch of propellant using sodium nitrate, glucose, sucrose and water. it is currently drying and hopefully it'll work. planning on launching some big time model rockets on friday!

Edited by jcow, 29 March 2006 - 07:35 PM.

[fishy1]

that sounds like it might take a while to dry with NaNO3 and sucrose in it.

[jcow]

that sounds like it might take a while to dry with NaNO3 and sucrose in it.

yeah, its still drying now, i pretty much followed James Yawn's recipe, ( www.jamesyawn.com ) but added a little extra water to it to make it easier to mix. i could heat it up later to let it dry. i've got about 5.5kg of sodium nitrate to use before i buy any potassium nitrate, so im trying to use it up!

Edited by jcow, 30 March 2006 - 05:03 PM.

[pyrotechnist]

why not try glucosamine which you can buy from health shops and bodybuilding sites as it is a supplement. You can also buy maltodextrin which is another sugar.