Research on Personal Dosimeters to Measure Hydrazine Fuels in Air.
Abstract
The wide use of toxic and highly reactive hydrazine and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as rocket motor fuels created a need to monitor their vapors in air at concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm. The objective of this research effort was to develop, test, and deliver prototype models of a hydrazine fuels dosimeter capable of filling the personal-exposure monitoring part of this need. This report describes the building and testing of a hydrazine dosimeter. Significant analytical difficulties were encountered. The most precise hydrazine measurements were made using the para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (PDAB) colorimetric analysis; isothermal furaldehyde GC analysis was satisfactory but less precise. UDMH analysis was much more difficult. A tedious adaptation of the TPF colorimetric analysis gave reasonable results, but the temperature-programmed furaldehyde GC analysis was not satisfactory. UDMH analysis/collection was not fully evaluated because of program duration and budget considerations; hydrazine evaluation was extensive. Laboratory test exposures to low ppm concentrations of hydrazine and UDMH were done with the linearity of the dosimeter's response to 0.1-10-ppm time-weighted average concentrations of hydrazine statistically demonstrated. UDMH analytical problems prevented demonstration of UDMH linearity of response.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA077034
Entities
People
- Rosemary Ellersick