Guanidine nitrate is a high energy fuel used in some gas generator

Gas generator

A gas generator usually refers to a device, often similar to a solid rocket or a liquid rocket that burns to produce large volumes of relatively cool gas, instead of maximizing the temperature and specific impulse. The low temperature allows the gas to be put to use more easily in many...

 and solid rocket

Solid rocket

A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket engine that uses solid propellants . The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese in warfare as early as the 13th century and later by the Mongols, Arabs, and Indians.All rockets used some form of...

 propellant applications.

Overview

Guanidine nitrate is the salt formed from guanidine

Guanidine

Guanidine is a crystalline compound of strong alkalinity formed by the oxidation of guanine. It is used in the manufacture of plastics and explosives. It is found in urine as a normal product of protein metabolism. The molecule was first synthesized in 1861 by the oxidative degradation of an...

 and nitric acid

Nitric acid

Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure, older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as fuming...

. It has the chemical formula C(NH₂)₃NO₃. It has been used as a monopropellant

Monopropellant

Monopropellants are propellants composed of chemicals or mixtures of chemicals which can be stored in a single container with some degree of safety. While stable under defined storage conditions, they react very rapidly under certain other conditions to produce a large volume of energetic gases...

 in the Jetex engine

Jetex engine

The Jetex engine was a type of solid-fuel rocket engine produced for use as a powerplant for model aircraft. Originally developed in 1947, by Wilmot, Mansour & Company Ltd of Southampton, it was first demonstrated to the modelling press in early 1948, and was available to the public in June 1948,...

 for model airplanes. It is attractive because it has a high gas output and low flame temperature. It has a relatively high monopropellant specific impulse

Specific impulse

Specific impulse is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. It represents the derivative of the impulse with respect to amount of propellant used, i.e., the thrust divided by the amount of propellant used per unit time. If the "amount" of propellant is given in terms of mass ,...

of 177 seconds ().

Safety

Hazards:

• May explosively decompose on shock, friction, or concussion.
• May explode on heating.
• On combustion, forms toxic and corrosive fumes including nitric acid and nitrogen oxides.
• The substance is a strong oxidant and reacts with combustible and reducing materials.

Routes of exposure:

• The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion.
• A nuisance-causing concentration of airborne particles can be reached quickly when dispersed, especially if powdered.

Effects of short-term exposure:

• The substance is severely irritating to the eyes and the skin.
• Harmful if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

External links

• Jetex: Propellants
• PhysChem: Guanidine Nitrate MSDS