Kinetics of hydrogen oxidation near the lower explosion limit

Abstract

AbstractKinetics of hydrogen oxidation near the lower explosion limit in the kinetic region of chain termination has been studied. Major effects, causing deviations of the reaction kinetics from calculations by the linear theory of branched chain processes, are shown to be (1) the inhibition of the reacting mixture by the products of interaction of active centers with vacuum grease or with impurities contained in it and (2) the heterogeneous negative interaction of reaction active centers. The kinetics of hydrogen oxidation in this region has been calculated with consideration of the heterogeneous negative chain interaction. A set of parameters has been obtained that make it possible to determine by the shape of the kinetic curves the sign and the value of nonlinear interaction of chains near the lower explosion limit. It has been shown that the experimental data are in good agreement with the calculations, provided the heterogeneous negative chain interaction is taken into consideration and the inhibiting effect of impurities is eliminated. The rate of heterogeneous generation of chains on a quartz surface treated with hydrofluoric or boric acid has been determined.