Everything about Hydrazine totally explained
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| Section3 = Hydrazine bisulfate is used as an alternative treatment of cancer-induced
cachexia. The salt of hydrazine and
hydrazoic acid N
5H
5 was of scientific interest, because of the high nitrogen content and the explosive properties.
Other industrial uses
Hydrazine is used in many processes including: production of
spandex fibers, as a
polymerization catalyst; in
fuel cells,
solder fluxes; and
photographic developers, as a
chain extender in
urethane polymerizations, and heat stabilizers. In addition, a semiconductor deposition technique using hydrazine has recently been demonstrated, with possible application to the manufacture of
thin-film transistors used in
liquid crystal displays. Hydrazine in a 70% hydrazine, 30% water solution is used to power the EPU (
emergency power unit) on the
F-16 fighter plane. The explosive
Astrolite is made by combining hydrazine with
ammonium nitrate.
Hydrazine has also historically been used as an oxygen scavenger in boiler water treatment. However due to the toxicity and certain undesired effects, namely increased rates of flow accelerated corrosion (FAC), this practice is discouraged.
Rocket fuel
Hydrazine was first used as a
rocket fuel during
World War II for the
Messerschmitt Me 163B (the first rocket-powered fighter plane), under the name
B-Stoff (hydrazine
hydrate). If mixed with
methanol (
M-Stoff) and water it was called
C-Stoff.
Hydrazine is also used as a low-power
monopropellant for the maneuvering thrusters of spacecraft, and the
Space Shuttle's Auxiliary Power Units. In addition, monopropellant hydrazine-fueled rocket engines are often used in terminal descent of spacecraft. A collection of such engines was used in both
Viking program landers as well as the
Phoenix lander launched in August 2007.
In all hydrazine monopropellant engines, the hydrazine is passed by a
catalyst such as
iridium metal supported by high-surface-area
alumina (aluminium oxide) or
carbon nanofibers, or more recently
molybdenum nitride on alumina, which causes it to decompose into
ammonia, nitrogen gas, and hydrogen gas according to the following reactions:
3 N2H4 → 4 NH3 + N2
N2H4 → N2 + 2 H2
4 NH3 + N2H4 → 3 N2 + 8 H2
These reactions are extremely exothermic (the catalyst chamber can reach 800 °C in a matter of milliseconds,
Hydrazine was used in fuel cells manufactured by Allis-Chalmers Corp., including some that provided electric power in space satellites in the 1960s.
Safety
Hydrazine is highly toxic and dangerously unstable, especially in the anhydrous form. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
Symptoms of acute (short-term) exposure to high levels of hydrazine may include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, dizziness, headache, nausea, pulmonary edema, seizures, coma in humans. Acute exposure can also damage the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. The liquid is corrosive and may produce dermatitis from skin contact in humans and animals. Effects to the lungs, liver, spleen, and thyroid have been reported in animals chronically exposed to hydrazine via inhalation. Increased incidences of lung, nasal cavity, and liver tumors have been observed in rodents exposed to hydrazine.
Limit tests for hydrazine in pharmaceuticals suggest that it should be in the low ppm range
At least one human is known to have died from exposure to hydrazine hydrate.
On February 21, 2008, the United States government destroyed the disabled spy satellite USA 193 with a sea-launched missile, purportedly due to the potential danger of a hydrazine release if it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere intact.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hydrazine'.
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