Chemical Destruction of Unsymmetrical DimethylHydrazine in Industrial Waste Water

As unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is a highly toxic substance, special care has to be taken for personal and environmental protection when working on it. A simple and reliable method for UDMH removal and decreasing its hazardous is chemical decomposition reactions. At this work a number of chemical reactions on the base of UDMH oxidation in acidic media have been studied for decomposition and elimination of UDMH from industrial waste water. It has been cleared that decomposition with sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite in hydrochloric acid media (pH=2- 3) is the best one. Another advantage of oxidative destruction of UDMH by excess molar ratio of Ca(OCl)2 is producing safer and no carcinogens substances. This reaction mainly leads to formaldehyde dimethylhydrazone and tetramethyl tetrazene, but not to N-nitroso dimethyl amine (a carcinogen compound).

Keywords:

unsymetrical dimmethylhydrazine , formaldehyde , waste water , decomposition