chemical physics of discharges - Argonne National Laboratory

. a b c liqqid
*iea.ctor L.!n/iLWH ~3a-l c c/Kwat t absorbent
Al .l3.14 O.OUB7 73.81 firm
81 6.33 3.02j6 118.74 none
A2 10.70 (O.OU87) 19.43 f iliil
I1
I1
A3 9.56
12-93
11
A4 7.28 3.73
II
B1 12.99 0*0098 73.58 spray
32 9.26 (0.0098) . 13.69 II
B2 8.88 (U.0236) 35.15 none
This is a reasoliable procedure within any one
1,erticular series of reactors such as A1 to 4, but it is
OiQY Eiproximate witii iiiffering reactor series( e.g. Reactor
series A and B)due to dissimilarities in discharge geometries.
JJi,c;uSSI #If.
The i?ost notable overall feature of the results is the
.qrogresuive increase in hydrazine yield obteined by tite use
of a liqu-id absorbent and by pihing tne discharge. The
himest averase. jield was obtained wit!i tile pulsing
technique with or without liqcdd absorbent aid was approxinietely
15 gms if H /KMH. Isolated values as nigi? as 20 @as/
W h were obtaine8 %ut further experimental work is required
before these values can be made reproducible. It is
noteworthy that a yield of 15 pis/KMH is beginning to look
comercially attractive although it must be remenbered that
the fiiL;,.l. product cost will depend to a great extent on the
cost of the product purification process downstream of the .
reactor.
There are several interesting features shown by this
work which bear discussion. From the results set out in
Fig. 2 to 4 it is evident that the hydrazine yield decreases
with increasing discharge power intensity despite a corresponding
increase in the decomposition of ammonia. The only
reasonable explanation for this which 118s been advanced is
that hydrazine is formed in the discharge bj a complex
reaction mechanism and is subsequently decomposed by electron
bombardment or other collision phenomena (4,6 ) .
The use of a liquid absorbent resdts in a decrease in
the slope of the energy yield-power density plot. This is
well illustrated in both Pig. 2 and Fig.4 by comparing the
slope of the plots with and drithout the use of liquid absorbent.
This indicates that hydrazine is being reinoved from the
diecharge by the liquid absorbent instead of being degraded.
If the hydrazine were completely removed so that degradation
did not occur the elope of this plot would be wither
independent of discharge power or possibly positive. The very