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I prepared a little experiment about solid rocket propulsion. I have used water ($H_{2}O$), potassium nitrate ($KNO_{3}$) and saccharose ($C_{12}H_{22}O_{11}$).

I made the mixture in a pan by cooking it. I put 100ml of water into the pan. Then I added 50g of potassium nitrate and 100g of saccharose at the same time when the water boiled up. I started to mix it using a spoon and it took like 35-40 minutes to water evoporation. After the cooking there is only a mixture of dough consistency solid left. It had a light-yellow colour.

When the mixture got cold I wanted to test it. I took a little piece of it and then start the fire, it burned like firewoek.

I wonder the equation of the mixture after it mixed. I mean,

$$KNO_{3}(s) + C_{12}H_{22}O_{11}(s) + H_{2}O(l) \rightarrow \dots \text{(Result 1)(s)}$$

And the after burn result of the combustion.

$$\text{(Result 1)(s)} + heat \rightarrow \dots \text{(Result 2)}$$

I hope I gave you enough informations about the mixture and combustion.

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    $\begingroup$ If complete combustion occurred, you would be left with potassium oxide, KOH, water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. With incomplete combustion, which is likely, you get various pieces of the sugar and leftover potassium nitrate. Probably more than this, actually. Be safe: people have been very badly injured with this homemade rocket mixture! $\endgroup$
    – Ed V
    Jan 31, 2020 at 0:05
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks @EdV! I really got something like you said. There was a black solid chemical, water, gray gas, and others that I can't see easily. Do you have any idea about the $\text{(Result 1)}$? $\endgroup$ Jan 31, 2020 at 0:08
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    $\begingroup$ Correction: Saccharose is another name for sucrose. Thus, its molecular formula should be $\ce{C12H22O11}$. $\endgroup$ Jan 31, 2020 at 0:09
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    $\begingroup$ My guess is that the light yellow was due to a little caramelization due to the cooking process. But this is just a guess because I never made this stuff. $\endgroup$
    – Ed V
    Jan 31, 2020 at 0:16
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    $\begingroup$ I don’t think there is one: the longer the cooking time, the more caramel you get. I would guess that caramel is a blanket term to cover a whole range of related species. Maybe someone else here can enlighten us! $\endgroup$
    – Ed V
    Jan 31, 2020 at 0:21

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