Iron Man Suit Using Simple Chemistry and Engineering
Since I was a little kid, I looked up to Iron Man and wondered, can I have a suit like that? However, my knowledge about chemistry grew, and a few teenage-brained searches about chemical explosions later, I found myself with an idea to make one.
Soon I realized that water can be optimized as a very good source of fuel for the future because of its chemical makeup. H2O has two very combustible elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen, and harnessing these gases from water could help create the blaster part of the suit.
I found out about hydro electrolysis, a form of electrochemistry, which uses a DC power source connected to two electrodes, which can be metals made of stainless steel, iron, aluminum, etc. When these electrodes are submerged in water, hydrogen will appear at the cathode (where the electrons enter the water) and oxygen will appear at the anode. The anode will frequently rust because it is getting oxidized. When the gases exit, a very combustible gas, Brown’s Gas, or Hydroxy, is created. In Hydroxy, hydrogen and oxygen are kept in their diatomic state (H2 or O2) instead of splitting into the monoatomic state and being able to turn back into water.
With this newfound knowledge, I decided to run some tests of my own. I used a small 9 volt battery to charge my electrodes, small stainless steel pins, and poked the pins through the bottom of the container where the water would be kept. To make sure the water didn’t leak, I superglued the pins to the container and added baking soda to dry it very quickly. However, when I added the water, nothing happened at all. I soon realized, water isn’t a very good conductor of electricity, so I needed to add an electrolyte to help conduct the ions through the water. I tested many electrolytes, but I found salt to be the most effective.
After this worked, I did the electrolysis at a bigger scale, and trapped it in a container. Now, I had a very combustible gas in my possession. However, my thought process at this time was, how can I efficiently ignite this gas, while keeping it safe enough to hold on my body. I decided to use propane gas, and ignited it with a simple lighter mechanism.
I kept the container of hydroxy on my chest, with tubes running to the blast container I had on my palm. Then, I ran a tube from my propane lighter, to the same container. When I unlocked all the passages, a perfect blast came out of the container, and I had achieved a small scale iron man repulsor. There was a large pop, a strong force, and blue fire coming out of my arm. To keep this mechanism safe, I coated my arm and hand with a silver mylar foil, so that my hand wouldn’t get burnt off.
This idea was very good, and it worked, but my next challenge is learning how to fly. I could try out an idea like Richard Browning, who used multiple mini rocket engines to propel his body. However, these are very expensive and I do not have the materials to make these myself. Using chemistry, though, we can make our own rocket engines using everyday items.
I found out about the explosive reaction of heat, powdered sugar (C12H22O12), and potassium nitrate (KNO3), which can be found in stump remover. If you compress the reaction in a small container with an opening, you can have a very powerful rocket. To make the rocket properly, you can also use kitty litter, as clay to hold the fuel in and have a perfect ignition. My thought is that with these thrusters placed in different locations around your body, you can have enough thrust to fly. With simple buttons that light small fires under the rockets, for the heating of the reactions, you can also control your flight.
My idea for flight is completely theoretical right now, and I am still in the process of researching and perfecting my ideas. Any constructive criticism or ideas would be appreciated, and I would love to see this idea being used by other people in the future.
