Hydrogen Peroxide in the Thermal Hydrogen Oxygen Reaction. II. Reaction of Hydrogen Peroxide with Hydrogen and Chain Initiation in the Hydrogen Oxygen Reaction

Abstract

The reaction between hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen has been studied in the temperature range 470 to 500°C. The dependence of reaction rate on concentrations is rather complicated for hydrogen, and is between first and second order for hydrogen peroxide. The evidence presented favors the conclusion that the reaction proceeds by a chain mechanism involving no direct reaction between hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide molecules, at least at low hydrogen concentrations. It was found that hydrogen oxygen mixtures undergo appreciable reaction at temperatures where the rate of reaction is normally very small if small amounts of hydrogen peroxide are first added.