Nitronium perchlorate, NO₂ClO₄, also known as nitryl perchlorate and nitroxyl perchlorate, is an inorganic chemical, the

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

of the

perchlorate A perchlorate is a chemical compound containing the perchlorate ion, . The majority of perchlorates are commercially produced salts. They are mainly used as oxidizers for pyrotechnic devices and to control static electricity in food packaging. ...

anion and the

nitronium The nitronium ion, , is a cation. It is an onium ion because its nitrogen atom has +1 charge, similar to ammonium ion . It is created by the removal of an electron from the paramagnetic nitrogen dioxide molecule , or the protonation of nitric ac ...

cation. It forms colorless

monoclinic In crystallography, the monoclinic crystal system is one of the seven crystal systems. A crystal system is described by three vectors. In the monoclinic system, the crystal is described by vectors of unequal lengths, as in the orthorhombic ...

crystals. It is

hygroscopic Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance ...

, and is a strong

oxidizing Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

and

nitrating In organic chemistry, nitration is a general class of chemical processes for the introduction of a nitro group into an organic compound. The term also is applied incorrectly to the different process of forming nitrate esters between alcohols and ...

agent. It may become

hypergolic A hypergolic propellant is a rocket propellant combination used in a rocket engine, whose components spontaneously ignite when they come into contact with each other. The two propellant components usually consist of a fuel and an oxidizer. The ...

in contact with organic materials. Nitronium perchlorate was investigated as an

oxidizer An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or " accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ). In other words, an oxid ...

solid rocket propellant Rocket propellant is the reaction mass of a rocket. This reaction mass is ejected at the highest achievable velocity from a rocket engine to produce thrust. The energy required can either come from the propellants themselves, as with a chemical ...

Thomas N. Scortia Thomas Nicholas Scortia (August 29, 1926 – April 29, 1986) was an American science fiction author. He collaborated on several works with fellow author Frank M. Robinson. He sometimes used the pseudonyms "Scott Nichols", "Gerald MacDow" ...

filed for patent on such propellant in 1963. However its reactivity and incompatibility with many materials hindered such use. Coating of nitronium perchlorate particles with

ammonium nitrate Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It ...

, prepared in situ by passing of dry

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogeno ...

gas over the particles, was investigated and a patent was awarded. Decomposition rate of nitronium perchlorate can be altered by doping with multivalent cations. Nitronium perchlorate and ammonium perchlorate do not produce smoke when stoichiometrically burned with non-metallic fuels. Potassium perchlorate and other metal perchlorates generate smoke as the metal chlorides are solid materials creating aerosols of their particles. Of all perchlorates, nitronium perchlorate is the most powerful oxidizer. It can be easily detonated, however.Thiokol Propulsion: Rockets Basics - A Guide to Solid Propellant Rocketry
Checked 2009-06-18. Dead link 15 April 2018.

References

{{perchlorates Nitronium compounds Perchlorates Pyrotechnic oxidizers Rocket oxidizers Oxidizing agents