Investigation of Preparation, Solubility and Stability Properties of Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate (NiHN)

Abstract

Following an initial, brief, review of the environmental problems associated with the use of lead based primers, and also some of their potential replacements, this study investigated the preparation of the promising, lead free, energetic material nickel hydrazine nitrate by different methods. All three methods trialed produced the same, analytically indistinguishable, compound but with minor changes in visual appearance. The solution properties governing the precipitation process were investigated in a controlled pH titration experiment. Product solubility in a number of common solvents was investigated. Aqueous ammonia and hydrazine hydrate proved the best "non-destructive solvents" for the solid. UV spectroscopy and con-ductivity of the solutions obtained was used as an indicator of the processes involved in the solubility. Using the critical pH conditions for precipitation from aqueous solutions of hydrazine and nickel nitrate the formation constant for the tris hydrazine complex was determined. Also using the solubility of the tris-hydrazine complex in concentrated hydrazine hydrate an equilibrium constant for the formation of the soluble hexa-hydrazine complex from insoluble tris hydrazine complex was determined. These values were compared with similar values for nickel hydrazine complexes with other anions. The origins of these differences were discussed. Further work on controlling and measuring the particle size of the NiHN produced should be considered.

Inorganic chemistry laboratory experiment on an energetic nickel (II) coordination compound, aimed at third-year undergraduate students

“…<1.5 × 10 −5 mol/L (Zhu et al, 1997). Sonication allows synthesizing [Ni(N 2 H 4 ) 3 ][NO 3 ] 2 at ambient conditions in a short time period, whereas an alternative approach would be to heat the solution to 65°C as is the case elsewhere (Cartwright, 2018;Chhabra et al, 2003;Hariharanath et al, 2006;Patil et al, 1982;Wojewódka & Bełzowski, 2011;Wojewódka et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2017;Zhu et al, 1997). Figure 1 shows the IR spectrum of 1 for which the fingerprint region, albeit dense, is relatively easy to examine.…”

“…All common safety precautions must be taken: wear a labcoat and safety glasses; use protective gloves; and, work under a fume hood. For precaution, it is preferable to target the synthesis of <1 g of (Cartwright, 2018).…”