- Author
-
Stepetic, T. J.
|
Tapscott, R. E.
|
Zallen, D. M.
- Title
- Fire Suppression Testing of Hypergolic Vapor Control Foams. Final Report. August 1985-September 1986.
- Coporate
- New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque
- Sponsor
- Air Force Engineering and Services Center, Tyndall AFB, FL
- Report
-
ESL-TR-86-58,
November 1990,
225 p.
- Contract
- F29601-84-C-0080
- Keywords
-
vapors
|
fire suppression
|
high expansion foam
|
ignition
|
hypergolic rocket propellants
|
rocket propellants
|
space shuttle
|
hydrazines
|
nitrogen tetroxide
- Identifiers
- acrylic-modified foam; vapor suppression; high- and low-expansion foam; thermal gas device
- Abstract
- A recent Air Force study certified certainacrylic-modified foams as effective vapor suppression agents for hypergolic propellants, specifically hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Large quantities of these materials are stored and used as rocket propellants in space and defense programs such as the Space Shuttle and Titan. Sizable quantities of these materials are subject to accidental spills and possible ignition during highway transport as follow-on for the vapor suppression certification was to test the effectiveness of these foams against propellant fires under a variety of scenarios. A series of 38 tests with anhydrous hydrazine (AH), monomethylhydrazine (MMH), unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), Aerozine 50 (A-50), and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) was conducted at the Nevada Test Site in November 1985 and April 1986. This report describes the results of such testing, along with an analysis of products released into the environment when the acrylic-modified foams are used to control hydrazine fires and when the foam-covered hydrazine is later disposed of by burning.