PRODUCTION OF SPACECRAFT-GRADE NITROGEN TETROXIDE (N[2]O[4])

THIS PROJECT AIMS AT DEVELOPING A NEW MEANS OF PRODUCING NITROGEN TETROXIDE (N[2]O[4]) WITH SUITABLE PURITY FOR USE AS SPACECRAFT FUEL OXIDIZER. THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE IS TO VALIDATE BENCH PRODUCTION OF NITROGEN TETROXIDE BY CATALYTIC COMBUSTION OF AMMONIA. THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS ALREADY BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN THE LABORATORY, AND IS PRACTICALLY IDENTIFIED TO THE FIRST TWO STEPS IN COMMERCIAL-SCALE PRODUCTION OF NITRIC ACID. AIR WITH 10% VOLUME AMMONIA IS PASSED OVER A CATALYST AT ABOUT 1000 DEG C, AT PRESSURES BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC AND 100 PSI. THE PRODUCT GAS IS SEPARATED FROM REACTANTS AND BYPRODUCT WATER BY LIQUID ABSORPTION, AND THEN OXIDIZED AGAIN TO FORM A NO(2)-N(2)O(4) MIXTURE. (THIS MIXTURE IS THE FINAL PRODUCT, BUT IT MUST BE HANDLED WITH EXTREME CARE TO MAINTAIN CHEMICAL PURITY AND SAFETY STANDARDS.) A LAB-SCALE PROCESS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND PROCESS DATA WILL BE MEASURED, THUS DEFINING THE FLOW SHEET. A SIMULATION OF THE PROCESS WILL BE DONE TO DETERMINE THE MOST ECONOMICAL CHOICES IN OPERATING PARAMETERS. THE OPTIMIZATION WILL BE DONE ON A STATE-OF-THE-ART CHEMICAL PROCESS SIMULATOR (ELG., ASPEN, SSI, CHEMSHARE, ETC.).