Fabrication of ethanol blended hydrogen peroxide 50 mN class MEMS thruster

MEMS thruster with blended propellant was fabricated and experimentally tested in order to improve specific impulse of micro scale monopropellant thruster and to improve stability of thrust to be better. 90 wt. % H ₂O₂ blended with 25 O/F ratio ethanol was used as propellant of thruster and platinum on alumina support was used as catalyst for decomposition of propellant. Thruster was made by five layers of photosensitive glasses. Four layers were integrated by thermal bonding method and catalyst was directly inserted into chamber before UV bonding process for the last layer bonding. Results of experimental tests showed ethanol blended hydrogen peroxide had higher specific impulse than unblended hydrogen peroxide. Expected improvement of thrust stability due to the blended propellant was found only in the transient state of thrust. Also, unlike the thrust instability of vertical type thruster of previous research, improvement of thrust stability was found owe to horizontal type thruster pattern on glass, despite aspect ratio limitation of glass fabrication with wet etching process. During the experimental test, combustion phenomena of ethanol with decomposed hydrogen peroxide were observed through glass layer and it made fracture on structure of thruster.