Tonka (fuel)

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Tonka (also TONKA-250 and R-Stoff) is the name given to a German-designed rocket propellant; it has also been used by North Korea and (under the name TG-02) by the Soviet Union.

Its composition is approximately 50% triethylamine and 50% xylidine, with nitric acid as a hypergolic oxidizer. Its use by amateurs is not advised, as the exact proportions of ingredients necessary for the mixture to work as desired, rather than fail catastrophically, is a function both of the ingredients' purity, and of their temperature during use.

Its name is a reference to the tonka bean; as it was invented during the Second World War, it has no connection to the similarly-named toys.

[edit] External links

• Analysis of North Korean missiles using Tonka fuel, at the Nuclear Threat Initiative