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Abstract:
The low vapor toxicity of ionic liquids (ILs) make them attractive replacements for hydrazine in rocket applications. However, ILs will fail to fulfill their revolutionary promise unless toxic oxidizers like HNO3 or N2O4 can be replaced with safer alternatives. By their very nature all rocket oxidizers are hazardous and so reducing those hazards, even though the resulting materials might not be completely harmless, is at the heart of green initiatives in propulsion. The corrosivity of nitric acid is well known and while N2O4 is much less corrosive it combines high toxicity with high vapor pressure. A significant step to a lower toxicity bipropulsion system would be the demonstration of hypergolicity (spontaneous ignition) between an IL and a safer oxidizer. Outside of cryogens high performing hydrogen peroxide seems to be especially promising, with its less toxic vapor and corrosivity and its environmentally benign decomposition products. Up to now, no IL has been reported to be hypergolic with H2O2. Design strategies for prospective ILs are discussed.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Description: |
Journal article (preprint) |
| Pages: |
20 |
| Report Date: |
04 MAR 2011 |
| Report Number: |
A710245 |
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Keywords relating to this report:
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