Wet Synthesis of Hydroxylammonium Nitrate (HAN) and Solid Phase Extraction Using Dual Organic Solvents

Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN; NH3OHNO3) is an ionic energy material having a low melting temperature and vapor pressure with a high oxygen balance. To utilize it as an oxidizer for a high content liquid mono-propellant, a dual solvent was used to obtain HAN in a solid particulate form. The dehydrated crystal from an aqueous HAN was washed with dual organic solvents including acetone and ethanol, finally resulting in the moisture content of 13.8 wt%. When acetone was applied as a single solvent, the maximum synthesis yield of 88%, the HAN content evaluated by TGA of 86.2%, and the decomposition temperature ranged 160 degrees C to 205 degrees C were achieved.