Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Disposal of Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate via sodium hydroxide

ManyInterests - 11-2-2022 at 11:07

I've made a single successful (and plentiful) batch of Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate (NHN) a few months ago and I made a few blasting caps (that were quite successful in going DDT in a pen body, eliminating any danger of shrapnel) and I have quite a bit of leftover NHN that I needed to dispose of.

The only method that the Wiki mentions is safely detonating it in a remote or secure area. While this is obviously a viable method of getting rid of NHN (and most energetics really), burning the NHN bit by bit is a lengthy and annoying and while the flash of deflageration (it only detonates in confinement. But it only needs a little confinement to explode) is nice the first few times, I really would rather not have to deal with that even with sunglasses on.

In a Chinese paper (attached below) on NHN I did see that they did mention that a 10% sodium hydroxide solution can be used to dispose of NHN. I did use a strong sodium hydroxide solution (probably more than 10%) to neutralize part of the leftover fluid from the synthesis (along with other stuff to get rid of any leftover hydrazine and acids). I noticed that when it is placed and mixed into a sodium hydroxide solution it turns green, which I assume is Nickel (II) oxide, which is also green (and I made with a failed NHN synthesis).

Is this is a viable route? I think it should be added to the wiki as a way of neutralizing NHN.

Attachment: Nickelhydrazinnitrat3.pdf (337kB)
This file has been downloaded 288 times


ThePKWonder - 20-2-2022 at 19:35

I don't have any experience with NHN, but thinking holistically about making the NHN safe to dispose of, wouldn't the sodium hydroxide free base the hydrazine, but not destroy the hydrazine? Maybe an oxidizer like bleach could be added with or after the sodium hydroxide in order to also destroy the free hydrazine.

ManyInterests - 22-2-2022 at 11:19

That can work, yes. But I was informed by many others that the bacteria in the sewer will make short work of the hydrazine. But that is something to consider, yes.