Atmospheric chemistry of propellant vapors

Hydrazine fuels are used as examples of the relatively rapid chemical processes which may occur when propellants are released into the atmosphere from normal handling or during accidents. The experimental procedures used to study these processes are reviewed along with postulated chemical reaction mechanisms and measured reaction rates and products. Results show that chemical processes which occur on a time scale comparable with meteorological processes must be considered in the development of dispersion models. These models must also account for the potential formation of toxic reaction products.