Liquid propellants hazard testing

Characterization, Chemical Compatibility, Storability, and Hazard Testing of Liquid Propellants... 

In summary, HAN-based propellants are markedly superior to other liquid propellants and also appear to possess physical properties and a number of other characteristics necessary for their use in a practical gun. Their performance may be further enhanced by the use of some additives. These propellants are also biodegradable so that disposal is not a problem [40, 41]. The data generated as a result of extensive characterization and hazard testing indicate that HAN-based propellants are suitable for military use. The HAN-based liquid propellants also appear to offer low vulnerability characteristics comparable to the LOVA propellants [42-44]. 

The liquid discharges from the anolyte circuit, catholyte circuit, NOx reformer, and caustic scrubber were sampled and analyzed for metals and organics. At the time this report was prepared, not all of the data were available to the committee. As noted in the Demo II test report, the Army has concluded that the characterization of the products from agent and propellant destruction showed that most hazardous intermediates were encountered at relatively low levels that could be effectively destroyed with additional treatment steps (NRC, 2001b). 

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