HydrOx or H₂+O

HydrOx is a Hydrogen and Oxygen system that can make use of an exothermic chemical reaction and other processes fundamental to survival in space. In Belter society it is also called ‘rocket fuel’ as it can be used as rocket fuel. The key thing is that no other elemental combination is referred to as rocket fuel, instead they are propellants. HydrOx is also the name of a Belter company that produces the things that use the HydrOx gas mix. They now rarely sell the gas mix itself as most Belters make it themselves through a process known as water splitting.

Hydrogen and oxygen combined is the chemical fuel of choice for space travel as it can be stored safely as water. Additionally the water is also available to drink, the oxygen is available to breathe and even the hydrogen is used as fusion fuel. Hydrogen on a space ship is largely made up of deuterium stored safely as heavy water. Light water is generally drank and recycled back for drinking, with heavy water in reserve, which is safe to drink provided some light water is retained in circulation. Although it is a Belter company, HydrOx has become a generic name given to any hydrogen-oxygen tool, even if it’s not made by HydrOx. Rival companies are however restricted from using similar branding.

As well as its major uses, the other main reason for the universal use of HydrOx is that it is essentially free to produce. The combustion of HydrOx gives energy and so to split water into HydrOx gasses takes energy. The key thing is that the energy required is in fact, surplus. Starships require a fusion engine to get around the vastness of a solar system, as nothing else will do. These engines hold energy in a magnetic surplus that can be safely reduced, freeing electricity, especially if the engine is about to be turned off. Also, when stationary, the engines can be easily switched to produce electricity at basically no cost as all engines such as the Merlin Engine are built to also act as power plants.

Storage

Water. The safest storage method as it is ‘reacted’, so large reservoirs such as found on spaceships keep it this way, where it is also ready to drink. The drawback is that it requires energy to be put into it to be usable as burnable fuel.
Hydrogen and Oxygen (separately). Lifeboats and Suits keep it this way as the oxygen can be readily tapped for breathing and in mixing, it is ready to burn. HydrOx the company, only supply water splitters that put the gasses into two separate tanks (ironically not making HydrOx) using their patented separation method, as this method of gas storage is safer. It led to the bland but practical advertising slogan of “If it hasn’t got two tanks, it isn’t HydrOx”, used to allay cheap clones.
HydrOx. By far the most dangerous method of storage, the gas made up of hydrogen and oxygen is ready to burn, but not much else, which is part of the reason why it got the name ‘rocket fuel’. If the tank containing the gas mix gets even slightly warm it has the potential to spontaneously explode. Early belters used to make and store HydrOx in outside tanks wrapped in a thermal shield box, relying on the coldness of space to irradiate energy into infrared light. Following many deadly and costly explosions, and the occasional oxygen starvation death in the initial Belter expansion, the means to store the gasses separately became widely available and rapidly adopted.

Welding/Cutting Torches

HydrOx welding torches work in a vacuum and if lit in a life pod, will provide heat and vaporised fresh water. They are safe to use in a life pod and are usable in space as the gas canister contains both the hydrogen and oxygen needed for the burn. A HydrOx torch will not use the oxygen in the life pod. Rival hydrox welding torches tend to cause hydrogen embrittlement and unwanted oxidation while HydrOx torches promise a clean burn. HydrOx torches keep the gases safely apart so cutting of iron can be faster by allowing additional oxygen to flow, causing an exothermic oxidation reaction to take place. They really are a 2 in 1 torch... or so the advertisements state. HydrOx torches main competition comes from arc welding.

Emergency Lights

The HydrOx Torch also has a nozzle modification that converts it into a very efficient (for a chemical process) white light via a material which absorbs and emits photons at different frequencies in a sustainable process. If needed, a very bright limelight (as per old fashioned theatre lights) can be given by burning calcium oxide at 2,845 Kelvin in an unsustainable reaction, i.e. once the calcium oxide is burnt, the light goes out. Limelights are supplied as a torch attachment used in the flair role, to attract attention. The HydrOx light is not close to the efficiency of emergency electrical lights but it is an excellent backup system. HydrOx likes to point out that its torch light will not go out if hit by an EMP.

Chemical Reaction

Electrolysis: 2(H₂O + 237kJ Energy +49kJ Energy to overcome entropy) → 2H₂ + O₂
Combustion: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2 (H₂O + 241.8kJ Energy)
Mass used in reaction (water mass): 18.01528g/mol
Avogadro constant 6.0221412927*(10^23)
1 mole of H₂O has a mass of 18g and produces 241,800J per mole.