[AR] Re: ammonia borane
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: arocket list <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2021 12:22:53 -0500 (EST)
On Mon, 1 Mar 2021, James Fackert wrote:
new safer hypergolic propellant?
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/insiders/pit/storie
s/38688?utm_source=TB_Photonic_News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20210301&
oly_enc_id=8686C2280356C0S
The part they gloss over, alas, is that it's the *oxidizer* that's the big
threat in the classical hypergolics -- the hydrazines are dangerous, yes,
but it's the N2O4 that's really bent on climbing out of its tank and
killing you right now. And this still needs an oxidizer.
The fact that it's a solid is also rather an inconvenience.
If all you want is something that's not hydrazine and is hypergolic with
WFNA, that problem was solved long ago: furfuryl alcohol is a fairly
inexpensive, stable, carbon-neutral, reasonably-safe industrial solvent
that can be bought by the tank-car-load today. Hard to get research
grants for studying it, though. :-)
Henry
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