The Energon Pub

For any chemists out there, I have a couple of questions about ammonium perchlorate.

I've done a little research about it, and know that it's odorless, that it's toxic, what it's formula is, that it's used as a shuttle propellant, etc. However, I'm no chemist, so a lot of the terminology I read goes over my head.

Is it possible to mix it with an odorizer like household gas is? (Not that I'm going to attempt it, so don't worry.)

If you breathe it for a prolonged period (say several hours in a contained environment), what symptoms would you show? My research says irritated eyes (does this mean sensitivity to sunlight?). But I may be misunderstanding it. Any other symptoms?

At what temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit) does it explode?

Don't worry. I'm not using it. I'm writing a story.

Thanks, all.

I'd imagine 'irritated eyes' would be akin to how chlorine affects your eyes.

going off it's MSDS, it decomposes or explodes at temperatures above 66degrees C, but can be set off by shocks, or organic materials, or burning.

inhaling it for a few hours will make you feel like your lungs are on fire, and probably cause alot of damage to your blood and kidneys, and as JP says your eyes will probably have a similiar sensation to excess chlorine exposure, rather than sensitivity to sunlight, you really should be wearing some sort of breathing aparratus while handling this, and the products of it's decomposition are even more toxic apparently

considering it's a solid i don't know how you'd mix it with an odoriser

Tammuz wrote:considering it's a solid i don't know how you'd mix it with an odoriser

Package it with one, wherever it's being stored, I guess.

Are you wanting to know about it as the shuttle propellant or as the salt? There would be a difference. The propellant is acutally a mixture of different things, and would react differently. As a salt, it does not actually turn into a gas but decomposes into cholorine, nitrogen, oxygen and water (according to wikipedia; I have no idea where the nitrogen came from other than already in the air)
it also could (logical) decompose back to ammonia and perchloric acid, which would be bad. Since wikipedia says it lets off a toxic gas, I would have to guess that it reverts back to ammonia and perchloric acid, neither of which are good for you in high doses. I think to do better research for you (and explainations) I need to know more about what your fictional situation is.
~Krsi (p.s. I'm also not a chemist, but I am a chemical engineer and have taken lots of chem classes, I'll try to help you anyway I can)

Krsi wrote:Are you wanting to know about it as the shuttle propellant or as the salt?

The shuttle propellant.

Krsi wrote:I think to do better research for you (and explainations) I need to know more about what your fictional situation is.

Basically the system that contains the ammonium perchlorate ruptures on a space ship. The space ship is in a building, but the building is sealed off (airlocks or whatever), and therefore airtight. I want to find out what the effects of the propellant are on the crew and the environment. I'm not concerned with the people in the building (jerk that I am), just the crew. They'll be spending their time in the same hangar as the ship, or very close by (like one room over).

I can basically control, in the story, the amount of gas that leaks. So if a large amount is bad, I can tone it down. But if there needs to be a lot to do anything harmful, then I can up the rupture. I don't want to kill the crew, mind you, just make them feel some effects, sickness, etc. Also, I'd like if it smelled, so, as I said, is it possible to combine it with an odorizer like companies do with household gas?

Tammuz wrote:considering it's a solid i don't know how you'd mix it with an odoriser

This concerns it in its rocket propellant form.

Krsi wrote:(p.s. I'm also not a chemist, but I am a chemical engineer and have taken lots of chem classes, I'll try to help you anyway I can)

You're already ahead of me. Any help is appreciated.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thanks to JP and Tammuz for their help so far, as well.