Remove ads
Chemical compound From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Syntin is a hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C10H16 used as a rocket fuel. It is a mixture of four stereoisomers (see below). It has a density of 0.851 g/mL, and a boiling point of 158 °C. Due to the presence of three strained cyclopropane rings, the molecule has a highly positive enthalpy of formation: ΔfH°(l)= 133 kJ/mol (980 kJ/kg, the average value for the isomeric mixture),[1] bringing additional energy into the combustion process. It has advantages over the traditional hydrocarbon fuels, such as RP-1, due to higher density, lower viscosity and higher specific heat of oxidation.
Names | |
---|---|
Preferred IUPAC name
21-Methyl-11,21:22,31-tercyclopropane | |
Other names
1-Methyl-1,2-dicyclopropylcyclopropane; Sintin; Synthin; Tsycklin; Tsiklin | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
|
ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID |
|
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
|
| |
| |
Properties | |
C10H16 | |
Molar mass | 136.238 g·mol−1 |
Density | 0.851 g/mL |
Boiling point | 158 °C (316 °F; 431 K) |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
|
Syntin was used in the Soviet Union and later Russia as fuel for the Soyuz-U2 rocket from 1982 until 1995.[2][3]
It was first synthesized in the USSR in 1959[1] and brought to mass production in the 1970s. It was prepared in a multi-step synthetic process from easily obtained acetylcyclopropane (the 3rd molecule):
After dissolution of the USSR, the production of this fuel was halted due to the expense of the synthesis. On September 3, 1995, Soyuz TM-22, the seventy-first and last Soyuz-U2 rocket launched, being the last rocket fueled with Syntin.[3]
Syntin has two stereocenters at the central cyclopropane ring. Thus, four stereoisomers exist:
In practice, syntin is used as a racemic mixture (a mixture where all stereoisomers are present in equal amounts).
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.