Low Temperature Nanoscale Catalyst for Reduced Toxicity Monopropellant

Toxic hydrazines with iridium catalysts are currently used in monpropellant andgas generator applications. NASA estimated handling carcenogenic hydrazines adds$500,000 cost to each space shuttle mission. The Aviation and Missile Commanddeveloped CINCH(Competitive Impulse Non-Carcinogenic Hypergol) fuel as a reducedtoxicity alternative. Unfortunately, the iridium catalyst requires high (300-400 degree F) temperatures. There is a need for a new catalyst that decomposes CINCHfuel at temperatures aslow as - 40 degrees F and a gas generator using this catalystand fuel. MACH I is proposing a program to develop this catalyst and generator. In Phase I, the catalytic activity of other materials will be compared to iridium. We have already shownpalladium to be more active. The most promising materials would then be synthesized using MACH I's nanoscale synthesis technologies. As the size of theactive particle is reduced, activity will increase. Supports would be evaluated to enhance theactivity of these nano catalytic materials. A prototype generator designwould be developed. In a Phase I Option, the decomposition products would beidentified, catalyst and generator design would be optimized. In Phase II, thecatalyst would becommercially produced and several generator devices built and evaluated to AMCOM's specifications.There are obvious cost and environmental benefits to the military and aerospace industries from using the CINCH fuel and the proposed catalysts and gasgenerators to replace carcinogenic hydrazine and methyl hydrazine systems. Palladium and othernoble metal catalysts are used in many applications in the chemical industry both tosynthesize chemicals and remove impurities. The more active nanoscalematerials developed in this program could offer cost and performance benefits to these applications.