Premium
Thermal decomposition of ethane
Author(s) -
Olson D. B.,
Tanzawa T.,
Gardiner W. C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
international journal of chemical kinetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.341
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1097-4601
pISSN - 0538-8066
DOI - 10.1002/kin.550110104
Subject(s) - chemistry , reaction rate constant , thermal decomposition , analytical chemistry (journal) , thermodynamics , decomposition , schlieren , photodissociation , argon , shock wave , kinetic energy , dissociation (chemistry) , reaction rate , kinetics , photochemistry , optics , organic chemistry , physics , catalysis , quantum mechanics
The decomposition of C 2 H 6 in Ar was studied by laser‐absorption and laser‐schlieren measurements of the reaction rate behind incident shock waves with 1300 < T < 2500°K and 1.1 < ρ < 4.4 × 10 −6 mol/cm 3 . The experimental profiles were parameterized by suitable measures of reaction progress. Computer simulations using a 14‐reaction mechanism were used to compare assumptions about rate constant expressions with the experimental parameters and to investigate the sensitivity of computed parameters to these assumptions. A rate constant expression k (cm 3 /mol˙sec) = 2 × 10 111 T −25.26 exp(−80 320/ T ) was found for the primary dissociation step C 2 H 6 + M CH 3 + CH 3 + M under the conditions studied; no difference in rate was discernable between M Ar and M C 2 H 6 . Rate constant expressions found to be suitable for the remaining reactions of the mechanism, to some of which the computed parameters were sensitive, were in accord with previous proposals. Our results and results from earlier investigations of the primary decomposition reaction, in both forward and reverse directions, were extrapolated, using RRK methods, to obtain low‐pressure limiting rate constants and found to be concordant.