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
The main engine on the Cygnus spacecraft burns a mixture of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Fuels such as nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine are toxic and corrosive, while liquid hydrogen and oxygen must be stored at extremely low temperatures, posing risks of leakage, brittleness in metals, and explosive vaporization.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
The four propellant tanks on Blue Ghost are arranged in a diagonal configuration, with two containing hydrazine fuel and two holding an oxidizer called nitrogen tetroxide.
—Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
One of the more common combinations in the world of hypergolic propulsion, for instance, is mixing the fuel hydrazine with the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 20 Dec. 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
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Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Fuels such as nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine are toxic and corrosive, while liquid hydrogen and oxygen must be stored at extremely low temperatures, posing risks of leakage, brittleness in metals, and explosive vaporization.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
The four propellant tanks on Blue Ghost are arranged in a diagonal configuration, with two containing hydrazine fuel and two holding an oxidizer called nitrogen tetroxide.
—Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
One of the more common combinations in the world of hypergolic propulsion, for instance, is mixing the fuel hydrazine with the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 20 Dec. 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
Cite this Entry
“Nitrogen tetroxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrogen%20tetroxide. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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