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Red fuming nitric acid (RFNA) is a storable oxidizer used as a rocket propellant. It consists of nitric acid (H N O 3), dinitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4) and a small amount of water. The color of red fuming nitric acid is due to the dinitrogen tetroxide, which breaks down partially to form nitrogen dioxide. The nitrogen dioxide dissolves until the ...
It is advised to check the references for photos of reaction results. [1] Reagent testers might show the colour of the desired substance while not showing a different colour for a more dangerous additive. [2]
Due to the dissolved nitrogen dioxide, the density of red fuming nitric acid is lower at 1.490 g/cm 3. An inhibited fuming nitric acid, either white inhibited fuming nitric acid (IWFNA), or red inhibited fuming nitric acid (IRFNA), can be made by the addition of 0.6 to 0.7% hydrogen fluoride (HF).
Furfuryl alcohol + IRFNA (or red fuming nitric acid) – Copenhagen Suborbitals SPECTRA Engine [26] [5]: 27 Furfuryl alcohol + WFNA (or white fuming nitric acid) [5]: 27 Hydrazine + nitric acid (toxic but stable), abandoned due to lack of reliable ignition. No engine with this combination ever went into mass production.
Both propellants are extremely dangerous individually: nitric acid is highly corrosive and releases toxic nitrogen dioxide during reactions, or even simply while exposed to air in its highly concentrated "red fuming" form, typically used as rocket propellant. UDMH is both toxic and corrosive.
As the mixture is an extremely strong oxidant, it can ignite combustibles upon contact. Upon decomposition it produce red fumes of nitrogen tetroxide and nitric acid. [1] [3] [4] [5] Some former-Soviet countries have large quantities. Ukraine, for example, had 16,000 tonnes, which the OSCE has helped process.
UDMH is often used in hypergolic rocket fuels as a bipropellant in combination with the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide and less frequently with IRFNA (inhibited red fuming nitric acid) or liquid oxygen. [12] UDMH is a derivative of hydrazine and is sometimes referred to as a hydrazine. As a fuel, it is described in specification MIL-PRF-25604 in ...
A two-step synthesis starts from hydrazine, first by alkylation with ethyl chloroformate, followed by treating the resulting diethyl hydrazodicarboxylate with chlorine (bubbling through the solution), hypochlorous acid, concentrated nitric acid or red fuming nitric acid. The reaction is carried out in an ice bath, and the reagents are added ...