Process for the manufacture of hydrazine

1,140,460. Hydrazine production. ALLISCHALMERS MFG. CO. 9 Dec., 1966 [20 Dec., 1965], No. 55196/66. Heading C1A. Hydrazine is produced by subjecting to an electrical glow discharge, ammonia heated to at least 405‹ C. and under reduced pressure, i.e. from 10 to 100 millimetres of mercury, the current between the electrodes being at least 40 milliamperes. The preferred temperature range for the ammonia is 440‹ C.-650‹ C. and preferred pressure range is 10-50 millimeters of mercury. The linear gas flow used is 3,000 to 30,000 centimeters per second. The cathode is preferably a low work function cathode having a photo-electric work function of less than 2À5 electron volts; a tungsten wire cathode having a surface coating of caesium oxide and strontium oxide and a water-cooled stainless steel tubular anode are used in the examples.