US EPA

2741510 

Technical Report 

Synthesis, Evaluation, and Formulation Studies on New Oxidizers as Alternatives to Ammonium Perchlorate in DoD Missile Propulsion Applications 

Dewey, MA 

2007 

NTIS/01750075 

GRA and I 

GRA and I 

Perchlorate is found in groundwater and drinking water throughout the United States. This contamination is primarily attributed to the use of ammonium perchlorate in the solid fuel for rockets and missiles. The objective of the program is to develop environmentally benign solid rocket propellant formulations that do not rely on the use of ammonium perchlorate (AP) as an oxidizer. This objective supports the goal of reducing future AP contamination in groundwater by reducing the need for production and use of AP as an oxidizer in solid rocket motors. The propellants developed must match current performance and hazards to meet the objective. To formulate propellants that don't rely on AP, combinations of oxidizers must be exploited. We selected four new supplemental oxidizers to focus on initially. These include the inorganic oxidizer ammonium di(nitramido) amine (ADNA); the cyclic nitramine/gem-dinitro compounds such as 1,3,5,5-tetranitroh exahydropyrimidine (DNNC) and 1,3,3,5,7,7- hexanitro-1,5- diazacyclooctane (HCO) and by adding the dinitroethylene attachment to nitramide functions as seen in diammonium di(nitramido) dinitroethylene (ADNDNE). The four compounds are predicted to have a low lipophilic nature. This favors migration to surface water or ground water but also indicates these compounds would not bioconcentrate into aquatic organisms or biomagnify within the food chain. Direct toxicity to aquatic organisms is also predicted to be very low.