Safety aspects on gelled hypergolic rocket propellants

A small scale study on the hazardous potential of gelled hypergolic rocket propellants is presented. As model substances nitric acid combined with furfuryl alcohol were gelled with Aerosil. Gelling reduces the intensity of reactive conversion of hypergolic fuels when they get into contact without forced mixing due to the prevention of convective flows. In the case of a leakage in the septum of side by side stored hypergolic components a self inhibition effect was observed.