Destruction or decomposition of hypergolic chemicals in a liquid propellant testing laboratory

Abstract

Hypergols are chemicals that ignite when combined, and are often used in spacecraft propulsion and power systems. The White Sands Test Facility laboratory performs specification analyses, materials compatibility testing, and hazards assessments with a variety of hypergolic spacecraft propellants. The hypergols are typically highly reactive, toxic and are some of the most severe examples of incompatible chemicals encountered anywhere. For safety and environmental reasons, the laboratory has procedures for decomposing laboratory-scale quantities of hypergols into less reactive or more benign, well-characterized products. Additionally, some analytical protocols require the decomposition of a hypergol as part of a sample preparatory procedure, and this must also be done in a safe, controlled manner. The purpose of this work is to present a review and discussion of the laboratory decomposition of propellant hydrazines (hydrazine, methylhydrazine, and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine), dimethyl-2-azidoethylamine (DMAZ), dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizers, and concentrated (>70%) hydrogen peroxide into known and/or less hazardous products. Hydrazines and common contaminants or partial oxidation products including N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrodimethylamine are reduced to ammonia and/or aliphatic amines. DMAZ is reduced to N, N-dimethlyethylenediamine. Dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizers are hydrolyzed to nitrate and nitrite solutions. Finally, hydrogen peroxide is decomposed to water.