Concordia University researchers developed a kerosene-based gel that addresses a longstanding challenge in space propulsion: keeping fuel stable in storage and letting it flow into engines. A kerosene-based gel developed by Concordia researchers could make rocket and satellite fuels easier to store and control. The new material combines kerosene, lecithin, and calcium chloride to produce a gel that behaves more like a soft solid at rest but flows when subjected to force or heat, according to a study. Liquid fuels can slosh around tanks, complicating spacecraft control. A press release by Concordia continues that conventional gel fuels, however, can be difficult to work with. The new gel is designed to solve this problem. The research, conducted by Pranay Mudaliar and Jerin John, an associate professor of mechanical, industrial and aerospace engineering at Concordia University, examines how the gel responds to shear, temperature, and the addition of ethanol.Their findings, published in Langmuir, could help address the challenges the industry faces with conventional liquid and gel propellants, including fuel movement inside tanks and pumping fuel into engines.Its transparent appearance could also help researchers observe how fuel moves and burns.The problem of fuel Liquid propellants, because of their material, can become unstable. But fuel gels present other challenges, as they are difficult to pump and spray. So Concordia researchers developed this novel material that can act as both. When at rest, it remains solid, but when exposed to force or heat, it flows. The study explains that calcium chloride turns lecithin into long, worm-like structures called micelles. These structures form a mesh-like network that immobilizes the kerosene, producing a material with liquid and solid-like properties.The gel exhibits strong shear thinning, meaning its viscosity decreases 100 times as the shear rate increases, which is the secret sauce to making rocket and satellite fuel easier to store and deliver to engines.At rest, the gel, as a solid, could reduce problems caused by liquid fuel, such as movement and leakage, according to the university.Now, as a gel, the researchers had to figure out how to transform it into a liquid. According to the study, they used heat. At 138°F to 154°F, depending on the gel’s density, it transitioned into a liquid state, potentially offering a way to control fuel flow during propulsion operations.But adding ethanol caused the gel to liquefy almost immediately because it disrupts the micellar network that keeps the material in gel form. How long can it remain in storage?Researchers wanted to know if the material could maintain its structure in storage. According to Concordia University, samples remained stable for more than a year in sealed containers.The study reported that oscillatory testing saw an elastic linear viscoelastic regime below 1% strain. This’s associated with the gel’s ability to be stored long term. They also studied stress and strain on the material, which might cause the gel’s structure to break down. In short, this study showed how the material responds to mechanical force, temperature, and chemical changes, but its effectiveness in real propulsion systems remains to be established.Further testing is needed.