Abstract
The missile industry has been concerned from the beginning about the presence of lubricants in oxygen systems because the use of some of these compounds may lead to burnouts and to disastrous explosions. Although lubrication of oxygen equipment is discouraged by the oxygen industry, as well as by the missile designers, it is essential in the operation of some types of equipment such as compressors, pumps and valves. Furthermore, in the pipefitting and plumbing trades, it is a standard and necessary practice to lubricate the joints and threads of pipe, tubing and related fittings to reduce friction and seizing and to assure a tight connection, In the installation of the complex propellant systems of liquid oxygen-kerosene—powered missiles, these compounds have assumed extraordinary importance because most of them are easily oxidized and thus their use can constitute a potential hazard, This brief study aims to analyze the reasons behind the special role played by these compounds in missile oxygen systems and to find means of reducing the hazards resulting from their usage by evolving criteria for selecting safe compounds.
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Reynales, C.H. (1961). Selection of Lubricants and Thread Compounds for Oxygen Missile Systems. In: Timmerhaus, K.D. (eds) Advances in Cryogenic Engineering. Advances in Cryogenic Engineering, vol 6. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0534-8_11
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