THE REACTION OF NITROGEN ATOMS WITH OXYGEN ATOMS IN THE ABSENCE OF OXYGEN MOLECULES

Abstract

The reaction has been studied in a fast-flow system by introducing nitric oxide in the gas stream with excess active nitrogen. The nitrogen atom consumption was determined by titrating active nitrogen with nitric oxide at different positions along the reaction tube. The rate constant is found to be k1 = 1.83(± 0.2) × 1015 cc2 mole−2 sec−1 at pressures of 3, 3.5, and 4 mm, and with an unheated reaction tube.The homogeneous and surface decay of nitrogen atoms involved in the above system were studied using the nitric oxide titration method, and the rate constants were found to be k3 = 1.04 ± 0.17 × 1016 cc2 mole−2 sec−1, and k4 = 2.5 ± 0.2 sec−1 (γ = 7.5 ± 0.6 × 10–5), respectively, over the range of pressures from 0.5 to 4 mm with an unheated reaction tube.