C-Stoff (; "substance C") was a reductant used in bipropellant rocket fuels (as a fuel itself) developed by Hellmuth Walter Kommanditgesellschaft in Germany during World War II. It was developed for use with T-Stoff (a high-test peroxide) as an oxidizer, which together with C-Stoff as the fuel, forms a hypergolic mixture.
{|
| Methanol
| style="margin-left:1em" | CH<sub>3</sub>OH
| style="margin-left:1em" | ~57% by weight
|-----
| Hydrazine hydrate
| style="margin-left:1em" | N<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> · H<sub>2</sub>O
| style="margin-left:1em" | ~30% by weight
|-----
| Water
| style="margin-left:1em" | H<sub>2</sub>O
| style="margin-left:1em" | ~13% by weight
|-----
| Catalyst 431
| style="margin-left:1em" | K<sub>3</sub>[Cu(CN)<sub>4</sub>]
| style="margin-left:1em" | potassium tetracyanocuprate(I)
|}
The proportions of the components in C-Stoff were developed to catalyse the decomposition of T-Stoff, promote combustion with the oxygen released by the decomposition, and sustain uniform combustion through sufficient quantity of the highly reactive hydrazine. The combination of the C-Stoff, used as a rocket fuel, with the T-Stoff used as the oxidizer, often resulted in spontaneous explosion from their combined nature as a hypergolic fuel combination, necessitating strict hygiene in fueling operations; there were numerous catastrophic explosions of the Messerschmitt Me 163 aircraft that employed this fuel system. Another hazard was toxicity to humans of each of the propellants.
C-fuel
After the war, Allied studies into rocket propellants continued with engines such as the Armstrong Siddeley Beta, under the name "C-fuel".
See also
- List of stoffs
- UDMH