Hydroxylammonium nitrate
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
Hydroxylammonium nitrate
| |
| Other names
Hydroxylamine nitrate
| |
| Properties | |
| H4N2O4 H2NOH·HNO3 | |
| Molar mass | 96.04 g/mol |
| Appearance | White solid |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.84 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 48 °C (118 °F; 321 K) |
| Boiling point | Detonates |
| Soluble | |
| Solubility | Reacts with alkali |
| Hazards | |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds
|
Hydroxylammonium chloride Hydroxylammonium perchlorate Hydroxylammonium sulfate |
| Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
| Infobox references | |
Hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula NH3OH·NO3 or H4N2O4, the nitrate salt of hydroxylamine.
Contents
Properties
Chemical
Hydroxylammonium nitrate is unstable because it contains both a reducing agent (hydroxylammonium cation) and an oxidizer (nitrate), the situation being analogous to ammonium nitrate. It is usually handled as an aqueous solution.
Mixtures with polyvinyl alcohol can be used to prepare a electric solid propellant (ESP) called HIPEP, which has the interesting property of not igniting unless a continuous electric current is applied, and will stop burning when the electric current is stopped. This property makes it useful as a stable and controllable rocket propellant.[1]
Physical
Hydroxylammonium nitrate is a white solid, soluble in water.
Explosive
Hydroxylammonium nitrate is sensitive to shock and its sensitivity is greatly increased by the presence of metal salts. It will also explode if heated above 48 °C.
Availability
Hydroxylammonium nitrate is available as aq. solution, and the solid form usually has to be prepared in situ.
Preparation
Hydroxylammonium nitrate can be easily produced by mixing hydroxylammonium sulfate with barium nitrate.
- (NH3OH)2SO4 + Ba(NO3)2 → 2 NH3OHNO3 + BaSO4
Alternatively, an aq. solution of silver or lead(II) nitrate can be added to an aq. solution of hydroxylammonium chloride.
- NH3OHCl + AgNO3 → NH3OHNO3 + AgCl
- 2 NH3OHCl + Pb(NO3)2 → 2 NH3OHNO3 + PbCl2
Various preparation methods can be found here
Projects
Handling
Safety
Hydroxylammonium nitrate is flammable and explosive.
It is an irritant to the respiratory tract, skin, eyes, and other mucous membranes.
Storage
For safety reasons, it's best to store it as aq. solution, and avoid storing it in solid form for long periods of time.
Disposal
Hydroxylammonium nitrate should be diluted with water first, then gently reduced with a mixture of Zn/HCl.
It can also be neutralized by diluting it with water and carefully adding iron salts that accelerate its decomposition.
