Ammonia (NH₃) Production from the Thermal Decomposition of Hydroxylammonium Nitrate (HAN) as a Green Energetic Source for Clean Space

Ammonia's (NH₃) high hydrogen concentration and simplicity of storage and transportation have made it a promising energy source, especially for hydrogen production. Using an iridium (Ir)-based catalyst for clean space applications, this study examines the release of NH₃ during the thermal decomposition of hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN), a green energetic propellant. Differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry in conjunction with mass spectrometry (DTA-TG/MS) was used to examine the thermal decomposition. The generation of NH₃ was verified by subsequent fragment analysis. Coupled cluster approaches were utilized to validate NH₃ generation and to further clarify the reaction process. Combining the theoretical and experimental methods highlights the feasibility of employing HAN as a precursor for NH₃ production, indicating that it can be used as a sustainable energy source for space propulsion systems. The effect of temperature on NH₃ production using a coupled cluster is also explored.