LOX
Quick Summary
LOX, or liquid oxygen, is a pale blue liquid used as an explosive and as an oxidizer in rocket propellants. It was introduced in 1895 and gained popularity during World War I in Germany due to a shortage of nitrates.12
LOX explosives are created by packing carbon black into porous bags and then dipping them in liquid oxygen. While inexpensive, the complex equipment needed for its production limited its use to areas with high consumption, such as large strip coal mines in the United States. Its use as an explosive has since declined, with consumption falling to zero in the U.S. by 1968, unable to compete with ammonium nitrate-fuel oil mixtures.2
Liquid oxygen is also a crucial component in liquid-propellant rocket engines, where it serves as the oxidizer, mixed with fuels like liquid hydrogen or kerosene.3
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