Air bags, in automobiles

An explosion of the same kind, but using sodium azide, NaN3, is used in air bags in automobiles (Fig. 4.18). The explosive release of nitrogen is detonated electrically when the vehicle decelerates abruptly in a collision. 

Sodium azide is used to inflate protective air bags in automobiles. What mass of solid sodium azide is needed to provide 100 L of N2 at 1.5 atm and 20°C ... 

One in a series of reactions that inflate air bags in automobiles is the decomposition of sodium azide (NaN3). 

A Figure 3.7 Decomposition of sodium azide, NaN3(s), is used to infiate air bags in automobiles. 

Air bags in automobiles The Oldsmobile Tornado is the first American car sold equipped with air bags. 

The decomposition of sodium azide (NaNs) rapidly releases N2(g), so this reaction is used to inflate safety air bags in automobiles (Figure 3.6 ) ... 

On a more benign level, explosives also play an unseen role in very common items. Small explosives charges, for instance, cause the rapid inflation of an automobile s air bag in case of a collision. On the scientific frontier, explosives in the form of propellants are the only means of lifting large cargoes into space, and heavy rockets consume tons of explosive material to maintain the International Space Station and the array of satellites in orbit. 

Imagine the problems encountered in designing an effective automobile air bag. In 1952 John Hetrick, an efficiency expert for the air force, started thinking about such a device after he had to stop his child from hitting the dashboard while braking... 

Mobiltech (automotive and aerospace textiles) These textiles are used in the manufacture of automobiles and aircraft. For example, carbon-fiber-reinforced composites are used in the manufacture of airplane parts, while carbon fiber is used for making higher-end tires. Nylon has a high bursting strength and is used for making air bags in cars. Other examples include spacesuits, parachutes, inflatable boats, seat covers, safety belts, etc. 

Automobile safety air bags use sodium azide [26628-22-8] NaN, for gas generation. It can be made from hydrazine by refluxing ethyl or Abutyl nitrite with hydrazine hydrate and sodium hydroxide in alcohol (209,210) ... 

Boron mixed with an oxidizer is used as a pyrotechnic. This ordnance appHcation for missiles and rockets is predominandy military. However, boron is also used in air bags, placed in automobiles as safety devices, for initiating the sodium azide [26628-22-8] which fiHs the bag with nitrogen (13). Other boron compounds are also used in the air-bag pyrotechnic appHcation. 

Sodium azide, like most azide salts, is shock sensitive. It is used in automobile air bags, where it decomposes to elemental sodium and nitrogen when detonated (see Section 4.7) ... 

When an automobile collision activates an air bag, sodium azide, NaN3(g), decomposes to form sodium, Na(s), and nitrogen gas, N2(g). (The gas inflates the bag.) This chemical reaction occurs almost instantaneously. It inflates the air bag quickly enough to cushion a driver s impact in a collision. 

Sodium azide (NaN ) is an explosive salt of nitrogen that produces large quantities of gas upon its explosion. This quality has made it ideal as the chemical contained in automobile air safety bags. When triggered it explodes immediately, producing the expanding gases that fill the bag. 

Sodium azide (NaN3) yields N2 gas when heated to 300° C, a reaction used in automobile air bags. If 1.00 mol of N2 has a volume of 47.0 L under the reaction conditions, how many liters of gas can be formed by heating 38.5 g of NaN3 The reaction is ... 

Most gas calculations are just applications of the ideal gas law in which three of the variables P, V, T, and n are known, and the fourth variable must be calculated. For example, the reaction used in the deployment of automobile air bags is the high-temperature decomposition of sodium azide, NaN3, to produce N2 gas. (The sodium is then removed by a subsequent reaction.) How many liters of N2 at 1.15 atm and 30°C are produced by decomposition of 145 g of NaN3 ... 

Enumeration of the energetic matl uses of tetrazole per se include the following Doin and Thomas claim in their patent (Ref 30) a propint contg tetrazole which is used for the inflation of automobile air bags by the generation of a nontoxic gas. Thus, tablets contg Na azide (70),... 

An automobile air bag fills up with about 65 L of nitrogen gas in approximately 27 ms. This can prevent a driver from being seriously injured. The sodium that is produced is extremely caustic, however. 

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