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Low Temperature Catalyst for Reduced Toxicity Monopropellant

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: DAAH01-01-C-R073
Agency Tracking Number: A002-0665
Amount: $70,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2001
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
United States
DUNS: 181947730
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Steven Gebhard
 Senior Scientist
 (303) 940-2325
 gebhard@tda.com
Business Contact
 Michael Karpuk
Title: President
Phone: (303) 940-2301
Email: karpuk@tda.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Tactical missiles that use gel propellant systems require a chemical gas generator for pressurization. While hydrazine is a proven monopropellant for gas generation, it is poisonous, a cancer suspect agent, and has a high vapor pressure. As a result,full body protection and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are required during hydrazine loading procedures, non-essential personnel must leave the area, and hazardous material spill control teams have to be readily available. The result isincreased hazard expense and difficulty associated with the extensive safety procedures. New reduced-toxicity, non carcinogenic monopropellants are being developed by the Army for use in gas generators for tactical missile applications. Unfortunately,these new monopropellants will not ignite at the same low temperatures as hydrazine over existing catalysts. TDA Research Inc. (TDA), proposes to develop a catalyst that can ignite the new monopropellant at -40¿F. We will us our computer controlled,high-throughput, catalyst test apparatus to screen more than 100 promising low temperature catalytic formulations. A preliminary design of a gas generator that uses the new monopropellant and our catalyst will be designed by our commercializationpartner.TDA's catalysts will enable the use of the new, reduced-toxicity, non-hydrazine monopropellants for both gas generation and for monopropellant thrusters. Gas generation is used with missiles, spacecraft, and aircraft for pressurization andauxiliary power. Monopropellant thrusters are used on telecommunications and military satellites. In the case of thrusters, it has been estimated that every 1% increase in thruster efficiency made possible by the new generation of monopropellantsincreases total revenue by $1,000,000 per year per satellite (700+ satellites will be launched over the next decade). For gas generation, the ability to reduce the exposure of personnel to hydrazine provides a strong incentive to incorporate our catalytictechnology.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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