Aluminum Aluminum powder can also be used as a fuel. In fact, the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters use a mixture of aluminum powder and ammonium chlorate as fuel. Oxidizers The oxidizer decomposes to give oxygen, which allows the fuel to burn. There are many different types of oxidizers, each having varying oxygen yields, stability, etc. The disadvatage is that its oxygen yield is rather low, 0.5 moles per mole of oxidizer.
Nitrates are also hygroscopic, meaning that they tend to absorb moisture from the air.
One mole KNO 3 weighs 101g. Chlorates are salts of chloric acid. Chlorates must be stored and handled carefully, and they should never be ground. One mole KClO 3 weighs 122.5g. Must be stored and handled in the same manner as potassium chlorate.