What does airbag, used for safety of car driver, contain?

Airbags used for driver safety primarily contain sodium azide (NaN3) as the gas-generating propellant [t2][t4]. When a vehicle collision is detected, sensors send an electrical impulse to a detonator, which provides the heat necessary to trigger the rapid chemical decomposition of sodium azide [t2][t8]. This reaction occurs in approximately 0.03 seconds, converting the solid compound into sodium metal and a large volume of nitrogen gas (N2) [t7][t8]. A typical airbag containing about 130 grams of sodium azide can generate roughly 67 to 70 liters of nitrogen gas, which is sufficient to inflate the bag and provide a protective cushion [t2][t8]. Because the resulting sodium metal is highly reactive and corrosive, it is typically neutralized by other chemicals like potassium nitrate and silicon dioxide within the inflator assembly [t2][t6].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-air-bags-work/