Amine-Boranes: Green Hypergolic Fuels with Consistently Low Ignition Delays

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 20; no. 51; pp. 16869 - 16872
• Main Authors: Ramachandran, P. Veeraraghavan, Kulkarni, Ameya S., Pfeil, Mark A., Dennis, Jacob D., Willits, Jared D., Heister, Stephen D., Son, Steven F., Pourpoint, Timothée L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 15.12.2014; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: amine-borane; Boranes; Chemistry; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Complexation; Delay; Derivatives; drop test; Hydrazines; hypergol; Ignition; ignition delay; Nitric acid; Physical Sciences; Propellants; Science & Technology; FLUIDS; N,N,N',N'-TETRAMETHYLETHYLENEDIAMINE; SOLVENTS; ignition delay; hypergol; AMMONIA-BORANE; propellants; IONIC LIQUIDS; amine-borane; drop test; NITRIC-ACID
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201405224

Complexation of amines with borane converts them to hypergols or decreases their ignition delays (IDs) multifold (with white fuming nitric acid as the oxidant). With consistently low IDs, amine–boranes represent a class of compounds that can be promising alternatives to toxic hydrazine and its derivatives as propellants. A structure–hypergolicity relationship study reveals the necessary features for the low ID. Hydrazine replacement! Complexation of amines with borane converts them to hypergols or decreases their ignition delays (IDs) multifold (with white fuming nitric acid as oxidant). With consistently low IDs, amine–boranes represent a class of compounds that can be promising alternatives to hydrazine and derivatives as propellants. A structure–hypergolicity relationship study reveals the necessary features for the low ID.