Heptyl rocket fuel: properties, characteristics, danger to humans, application

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 13:48

With the advent of such a direction of human activity as rocket and space research, the question of ensuring its environmental safety arose. And the main problematic link in this area was the safety of rocket fuel (heptyl) of the direct process of launching rockets and space technology into orbit. On the second question, the problems of ecological safety for the planet's biosphere are vague and distant. But as for the toxicity of heptyl rocket fuel, there are no more questions. Its indirect and direct toxic effects have been proven. This is what this article will be about.

Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine

This is the name of heptyl rocket fuel, the formula of which is C₂H₈N₂. This is a componenthigh-boiling fuel for rockets. The hypergolic (self-igniting when mixed) for dimethylhydrazine is nitric acid or nitrogen tetroxide (N₂O_{4, amyl).}

Heptyl rocket fuel is an almost colorless, slightly yellowish liquid with a pungent odor, which is characteristic of amines (organic derivatives of ammonia). Heptyl smells like rotten fish, but you shouldn't smell it - the fumes are toxic.

Heptyl rocket fuel mixes well in water, alcohols, oil products and other organic substances. At the same time, an aqueous solution of heptyl is many times more toxic than its vapors.

Heptyl rocket fuel: characteristics

Its boiling point is plus 63°C and freezing or crystallizing minus 57°C.

Heptyl density – 790 kg/m³. A mixture of amyl/heptyl hypergolics is a rocket propellant that provides easy rocket launch and reusable power.

Dimethylhydrazine has the properties of hygroscopicity (absorption of moisture from the atmosphere), which reduces the specific thrust of the engine, and, accordingly, its efficiency.

Heptyl rocket fuel (hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen) when combined with its hypergolic amyl (nitrogen and oxygen) gives a violent reaction and ignites.

In addition, this fuel is environmentally stable and can be stored for many years in the soil.

Terrible Poison

Heptyl rocket fuel is classified as hazard class 1 by the World He alth Organization. The substance is 6 times more toxic thanhydrocyanic acid, and has many factors of influence on the human body: mutagen, carcinogen, teratogen (effect on fetal development).

In the environment, it has the property of cumulativeness (accumulates) in living and non-living objects. When heptyl is oxidized, a substance is formed that is 10 times more toxic than the original - nitrosodimethylhydrazine.

Maximum permissible concentrations of heptyl in water - 0.02 mg/l, in soil - 0.1 mg/l. Vapors are dangerous at very low concentrations.

What is dangerous for the biosphere

Testing of heptyl as a fuel for intercontinental space rockets in the Soviet Union began in 1949. It is still used today for launch vehicles of the Proton family.

When such carriers are launched, the spent stages (first and second), where fuel reserves are located, are dumped into fall areas (special sparsely populated territories). And this is about 500 kilograms of fuel. Since 2003, this discharge has been taking place at high altitude, and the fuel is oxidized with oxygen with complete decomposition to simple substances.

But upon landing and further destruction of these objects, local contamination of the soil with heptyl occurs. And poisonous nitrosodimethylamine is already formed in the soil. And then it can get into groundwater.

What to do

In addition to soil pollution in places where the stages of carriers fall, there is also the problem of spilled fuel in places where rockets are refueled. In addition to the fact that it enters the soil, it enters in the form of an aerosol intoatmosphere.

And there are also places where heptyl rocket fuel is produced (Gazprom company, Salavat) and lost during transportation.

And if everything is difficult with aerosol heptyl, then you can collect the spilled one. And such technologies are developed by chemists.

One way is to remove the top layer of soil and wash it with supercritical concentrations of carbon dioxide. But in practice, a simpler method is used - filling the polluted area with gasoline and burning it. At the same time, the soil is destroyed, and the combustion products scattered in the atmosphere.

But that's not all. There are also more environmentally friendly ways to dispose of heptyl, but they are expensive and labor intensive. And it is with this problem that environmentalists are fighting today.

Yaroslavl Incident

All questions about the dangers of heptyl are not brought up for discussion by the general public. And confirmation of this is the case in Yaroslavl, which occurred on the night of February 1, 1988. Then, almost on the bridge across the Volga, a railway tank car overturned with hundreds of kilograms of heptyl, which spilled onto the ground. Luckily, the fuel did not enter the river and ignite.

The cordon zone was 500 meters, it included a kindergarten and a school. Residents of nearby houses were evacuated. At the same time, the population was informed that a poisonous substance had been spilled, but no one knew that it was heptyl.

The contaminated soil was then cut off and taken to the burial grounds. All 12 liquidators of the accident were hospitalized.

Poison is poison

On the territory of Russia there are 20 missile impact areas with a total area of 60 square kilometers. At the same time, only in the last decade, work began on the study of the effects of heptyl rocket fuel on humans. However, today there is evidence that in places where rocket stages fall, congenital disability in children occurs many times more than the national average.

This poison can enter the human body by water and air, food and contact routes. At the same time, getting on the skin, after 30 seconds it is already in the bloodstream.

There are no antidotes for this poison, as well as specific medicines.

Collateral damage

In addition to heptyl itself, dangerous toxins for humans are the oxidation products of heptyl and amyl, namely:

• Nitrosodimethylamine. 10 times more toxic than heptyl.
• Tetramethyltetrazene. Substance of hazard group 3, affects the respiratory tract and skin.
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO_{2). Very toxic, can cause degeneration of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, necrosis of the liver, kidneys and brain.}
• Nitric oxide (NO). The gas hazard class is the third. Affects the respiratory and circulatory organs.
• Carbon monoxide (CO). A compound that binds erythrocyte hemoglobin with the transformation of its carboxyhemoglobin - a stable form that leads to oxygen starvation of all organs and tissues.
• Hydrogen cyanide or hydrocyanic acid. Substance of the 1st hazard class. A highly toxic poison that penetrates the skin. Intoxicationaccompanied by suffocation, up to death. At low concentrations, there is a sensation of scratching in the throat, a bitter taste in the mouth, difficulty in speech and coordination, acute headache, gastrointestinal upset, accelerated heart rate.
• Formaldehyde. A substance with a pungent odor, even in small concentrations, leads to damage to the mucous membranes and general toxic damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver, and the organ of vision.

Intoxication of the body can take place in acute and chronic form.

Most vulnerable organs

Heptyl adversely affects all organs and systems of the human body. In this case, its following effect is manifested:

• Neurotropic (damage to the central and peripheral nervous system).
• Hepatotropic (liver disorders).
• Hemolytic (violations in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the blood).
• Dermal-resorptive (damage to the skin and mucous membranes).

Geptyl has a sensitizing effect, the properties of a weak allergen and an immunosuppressive effect on the human body.

Especially noteworthy is the teratogenic (embiotropic) effect of heptyl, which manifests itself in a decrease in fetal weight, the appearance of anemia, and dilated ventricles of the fetal brain.

Geptyl has a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect on the human body.

Acute poisoning

Acute poisoning has three degrees:

• Easy. Manifested in catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and mucous membranes, dyspepsia, weakness, headaches. Changes in liver function, leukocytosis and other blood disorders may be observed.
• Average. With this course, symptoms of laryngotracheitis, bronchitis, emphysema appear. Conjunctivitis, gastritis, polynephritis develops. The cardiovascular system suffers - tachycardia and aortic hypertension develop.
• Heavy. Symptoms increase, pneumonia and pulmonary edema, internal bleeding appear. From the side of the gastrointestinal tract, erosion of the passages is increasing. Hypotension, myocardial dystrophy, diencephalic encephalopathy appear. Collapse and shock are possible. Renal (up to toxic hepatitis) and liver failure appear. Possible death. With this course of intoxication, even after treatment, residual effects may persist in the form of autonomic dystonia, organic lesions of the central nervous system, hepatitis, ulcerative phenomena in the gastrointestinal tract, and nephropathic phenomena.

Chronic heptyl poisoning

This condition develops with prolonged exposure to small doses of poison. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, headaches, irritability, and sleep disturbances. There may be pain in the liver and kidneys, in the region of the heart, disturbances in its rhythm.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia, microorganic lesions of the central nervous system are detected. Liver dysfunction is manifested by an increase in the level of bilirubin inblood.

Carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the liver tissues is disturbed, vitamin B6 deficiency appears, significant changes in the work of the endocrine system.

Long-term consequences of heptyl poisoning can be disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, ulcerative phenomena in the stomach and intestines, deep liver damage (antitoxic, excretory and protein-forming functions), various encephalopathies.

Summarize

Back in the 50s of the last century, Ray Bradbury wrote his story "Golden Apples of the Sun", in which the main idea is that human space exploration brings unprecedented benefits. So it will be, but in the event that the campaign for these benefits does not destroy our earthly home. Not to mention the death of its inhabitants. I would like to believe that space "apples" will be tasty and he althy, and their pulp will not taste like toxic heptyl rocket fuel.