An Assessment of Hydrazine, Hydrazine Hydrate and Liquid Ammonia as Fuels for Rocket Propulsion

The use of the fuels liquid ammonia, hydrazine hydrate and anhydrous hydrazine in the field of rocket propulsion has been assessed. It is concluded that liquid ammonia is not promising except possibly in small motors where its high vapor pressure may not be too severe a disadvantage. More data on the system Hydrazinewater, in which the concentration of water is less than in hydrazine hydrate, are desirable, and other methods of lowering the freezing point of anhydrous hydrazine should be investigated. If chlorine trifluoride is developed as an oxidant it will probably be essential to have hydrazine or hydrazinewater as the fuel.