Low Temperature Catalyst for Reduced Toxicity Monopropellant

Tactical missiles that use gel propellant systems require a chemical gas generator for pressurization. While hydrazine is a proven monopropellant for gas generation, it is poisonous, a cancer suspect agent, and has a high vapor pressure. As a result,full body protection and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are required during hydrazine loading procedures, non-essential personnel must leave the area, and hazardous material spill control teams have to be readily available. The result isincreased hazard expense and difficulty associated with the extensive safety procedures. New reduced-toxicity, non carcinogenic monopropellants are being developed by the Army for use in gas generators for tactical missile applications. Unfortunately,these new monopropellants will not ignite at the same low temperatures as hydrazine over existing catalysts. TDA Research Inc. (TDA), proposes to develop a catalyst that can ignite the new monopropellant at -40¿F. We will us our computer controlled,high-throughput, catalyst test apparatus to screen more than 100 promising low temperature catalytic formulations. A preliminary design of a gas generator that uses the new monopropellant and our catalyst will be designed by our commercializationpartner.TDA's catalysts will enable the use of the new, reduced-toxicity, non-hydrazine monopropellants for both gas generation and for monopropellant thrusters. Gas generation is used with missiles, spacecraft, and aircraft for pressurization andauxiliary power. Monopropellant thrusters are used on telecommunications and military satellites. In the case of thrusters, it has been estimated that every 1% increase in thruster efficiency made possible by the new generation of monopropellantsincreases total revenue by $1,000,000 per year per satellite (700+ satellites will be launched over the next decade). For gas generation, the ability to reduce the exposure of personnel to hydrazine provides a strong incentive to incorporate our catalytictechnology.