Hydrozine

[Ratliff]

IIRC, hydrazine was the reason the Me 163 Komet killed more Germans than Americans.

But I think it is used actively in the F-16 Falcon as fuel for the EPU (Emergenccy Power Unit).  Since the F-16 has only one jet engine and the glide slope of a rock, they need to turn the engine into a rocket engine in case it flames out and can't restart.

Could be wrong. 

Anyhow, hydrogen peroxide is a better and safer monopropellant.  Spray it on a platinum mesh and go to town.

I often wondered what would happen with a water injection system full of hydrogen peroxide, but was too chicken to find out.

The 163B Komet used hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizer and alcohol/hydrazine hydrate as the fuel. Hydrogen peroxide does not react to bullets. Or, to be more specific, it reacts great with the lead in bullets. Also the propellant combination used in the Komet is hypergolic, so if the propellants come into contact with each other outside the rocket motor that is also bad.

[Ratliff]

Too bad monoprop grade hydrazine is horrifically expensive, other it'd make a great propellant either for a rocket land speed car or a hot gas generator turbine car.

What does expensive have to do with it?

Material Safety Data Sheet
Hydrazine MSDS

Potential Acute Health Effects:
Very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of ingestion. Hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive), of
eye contact (irritant), of inhalation. Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (permeator). Liquid or spray mist
may produce tissue damage particularly on mucous membranes of eyes, mouth and respiratory tract. Skin
contact may produce burns. Inhalation of the spray mist may produce severe irritation of respiratory tract,
characterized by coughing, choking, or shortness of breath. Severe over-exposure can result in death.
Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Hazardous in case of skin contact (permeator).
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified + (PROVEN) by OSHA. Classified 2B (Possible for human.) by IARC.
Classified A2 (Suspected for human.) by ACGIH, 2 (Reasonably anticipated.) by NTP.
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available.
The substance is toxic to blood, kidneys, lungs, the nervous system, mucous membranes.
Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated or prolonged

Based on its MSDS, people wouldn't want to run gasolene either. Below is the website for the Walter rocket motors used in the Komet and other WWII aircraft. These were the first fully throttleable rocket motors.

http://www.walter-rockets.i12.com/

[Dean Los Angeles]

Hey Ratliff, so I suppose that 10,000 lb bombs are as safe to use as firecrackers.

[jl222]

Hydrazine is used in many other applications as a corrosion inhibitor.

That may be true, Franklin - but according to the MSDS sheet for Hydrazine it is desribed as corrosive. OK?

Check out the Wikipedia article on hydrazine and scroll down to the Reducing Agent paragraph.  There you'll see reference to its use as a corrosion inhibitor in boiler water.  Follow the link and you'll see further discussion of the subject including reference to that one application and the reason why it is being replaced in that use by Vitamin C (HUH??) which like hydrazine is an oxygen scavenger.
And to any of you amateur chemists out there.......... contact with a mixture of nitromethane and ascorbic acid or the resulting fumes at any measurable concentration will cause permanent male impotence (LOL)  Could this one make its way onto the Snopes list?
Ed Weldon

      NOW you tell us not to be chewin on vitamin c when Leggit is warming up!

                         JL222