Reaction Characteristics of Spills of Fluorine and Fluorine-Oxygen Mixtures Upon Various Materials.

The use of liquid fluorine or liquid FLOX fluorine-oxygen mixture as an oxidizer in a rocket launch or test facility requires a knowledge of the reaction characteristics of these liquids in the event of spillage. The hypergolicity of cryogenic liquid fluorine or FLOX when spilled in an unconfined manner onto various common materials was of particular interest. In addition, the relative hypergolicity of FLOX with respect to fluorine was uncertain under this spill condition. Fluorine, FLOX, and their most common byproduct, hydrogen fluoride, are all toxic it is desirable that these gases be inerted or made to rise upward for better dispersion and diffusion into the atmosphere for the safety of personnel and communities downwind of the spill area. An investigation was therefore made to determine the results of such spillages onto various materials. Small quantities 5 to 10 lb of liquid FLOX, fluorine, and oxygen were spilled from a height of about 20 inches upon several common materials which might be found or placed around a test or launch facility tables I to IV, Test material column. Because of recent NASA interest in 30-percent FLOX fluorine-oxygen mixture containing 30 percent fluorine by weight, the majority of spills were made at this concentration. Brom these spill tests, information was obtained in the following areas 1 The hypergolicity of FLOX and fluorine with various materials upon which they might be spilled, including the effect of oxygen as a diluent on hypergolicity 2 Qualitative information on reaction characteristics and combustion propagation by visual observation and high-speed photography 3 Visual and photographic information on the path of the resultant gas clouds shown in a motion picture.