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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Engineering Forum => Topic started by: Mikedknhenry on April 03, 2014, 07:41:44 AM

Title: Hydrazine
Post by: Mikedknhenry on April 03, 2014, 07:41:44 AM

Hi all I work in pgm refining and we had an incident the other day. Someone pumped Hydrazine into a hydrogen peroxide tank. What was going on chemically?

Title: Re: Hydrazine
Post by: discodermolide on April 03, 2014, 10:59:39 AM

What did they get? A new space shuttle? Whatever it must have been quite spectacular to see!

Try Googling hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide either together or separately and see if you can fathom it out.

Title: Re: Hydrazine
Post by: Enthalpy on April 03, 2014, 02:53:24 PM

Both are known rocket propellants. Both are known to ignite by contact with the proper partner, but not necessarily fast enough (few milliseconds) together.

They aren't used together in any rocket I know - this would cumulate distinct sources of danger.

Rocket designers try hard to eradicate both, because they're so dangerous. Liquid oxygen is more efficient, less dangerous, easier to handle than peroxide. Kerosene is safe and about as good as hydrazine.