4 ms·

Iodine? Keep it cold and it stays solid. But it doesn’t liquify; it is one of the elements that can sublimate from solid to gas (not sure of the physical chem

Iodine? Keep it cold and it stays solid. But it doesn’t liquify; it is one of the elements that can sublimate from solid to gas (not sure of the physical chem here, but the transition temp to liquid vs gas from solid is so close that it doesn’t have a distinct liquid phase(?)). So I’m imagining a solid block of iodine (it is in cold space), and when the engine needs thrust, some current from the solar cells is passed through a heating element to drive sublimation + lots of complex rocket science that I do not know of. If you are referring to the noble gases, I don’t think they are cooled to the point of solids; just high pressure liquids..

randomuser1337 5y ago
I designed iodine thrusters for a different company. Your description of how you store/flow the iodine is correct and it's no more complicated than that. It's actually an easy propellant to work with due to its easily controlled vapor pressure (through heat) - the main issue with designing these systems is dealing with how outrageously corrosive iodine is. It. Eats. Everything. You can technically liquefy/boil iodine (I've done it a few times). It happens around 110C IIRC.