The Chemistry of the Hydrazine–Hydroxylamine–Nitric Acid System at High Temperatures

The kinetics of decomposition of hydrazine and hydroxylamine in concentrated nitric acid at 70 °C establish a critical concentration [hydrazine] ≍ 5 × 10 −4 mol dm −3 below which a rapid autocalalytic decomposition of hydroxylamine occurs; this corresponds to the rate of nitrite scavenging by hydrazine balancing the rate of N 2 O 4 formation.