nitrogen tetroxide

noun

: a colorless toxic gas N2O4 that is a dimer of nitrogen dioxide and that in liquid form is used as an oxidizer in rocket engines

Examples of nitrogen tetroxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The eight high-thrust engines burn hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants that combust when making contact with one another. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2024 The thrusters consume the nitrogen tetroxide and mix it with hydrazine fuel for combustion. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2024 The thrusters, each generating about 85 pounds of thrust, consume the nitrogen tetroxide, or NTO, oxidizer and mix it with hydrazine fuel for combustion. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 July 2024 Similar thrust degradation was seen and when engineers disassembled the test thruster, a Teflon seal was found to be slightly deformed, likely due to exposure to one of the propellants, nitrogen tetroxide. William Harwood, CBS News, 25 July 2024 Previous North Korean rockets used hypergolic propellants, typically hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, or solid fuels, which are also well-suited for military ballistic missiles. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 June 2024 During Peregrine's startup sequence after separation from its United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket, one of the spacecraft's propellant tanks ruptured, spewing precious nitrogen tetroxide into space. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024 The leak let nitrogen tetroxide, a combustible component in rocket propellant, seep out enough to ignite a check valve and trigger the explosion. Hailey Rose McLaughlin, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2019 Some of the nitrogen tetroxide appears to have permeated through Teflon seals and interacted with moisture on the other side to produce nitric acid, Mr. Vollmer said. New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrogen tetroxide was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near nitrogen tetroxide

Cite this Entry

“Nitrogen tetroxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrogen%20tetroxide. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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