hypergolic
Dec. 15th, 2023 07:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordhypergolic (hai-per-GAW-lik, hai-per-GOL-ik) - adj., (chemistry, aeronautics) igniting spontaneously upon contact with a complimentary oxydizer; of, relating to, or using hypergolic fuel.
The most common hypergolic combination in use today (mainly in orientation adjustment engines) is dinitrogen tetroxide plus hydrazine, but there are several other combinations. Middle ballistic missiles, including Titan II and R-36, used hypergolic fuels (earlier ones used kerosene + liquid oxygen, which had logistical challenges. Taken in 1947 from German Hypergol, coined in the 1930s from Ancient Greek roots hyper-, extreme + ergon, work + suffixes sufficient until the job.
---L.
The most common hypergolic combination in use today (mainly in orientation adjustment engines) is dinitrogen tetroxide plus hydrazine, but there are several other combinations. Middle ballistic missiles, including Titan II and R-36, used hypergolic fuels (earlier ones used kerosene + liquid oxygen, which had logistical challenges. Taken in 1947 from German Hypergol, coined in the 1930s from Ancient Greek roots hyper-, extreme + ergon, work + suffixes sufficient until the job.
---L.
