CARBON MATERIALS REACTIVITY IN AN OXYGEN PLASMA IN COMPARISON WITH MOLECULAR-OXYGEN

The reactivity towards an oxygen plasma of 49 different carbons was st udied in this paper. Suitable parameters are chosen to characterize th e plasma reactivity of these materials. Plasma reactivities for the se t of carbons are discussed in terms of their structural, chemical and textural characteristics. Oxygen plasma reactivity trends are then com pared with molecular oxygen trends for the same carbons. As a differen ce with C-O-2 reaction, the C-oxygen plasma reaction shows a weak depe ndence on structural factors and no influence at all from chemical fac tors; the main effect upon plasma reactivity seems to come from availa ble surface area. These observations support a Rideal-type mechanism f or the carbon-oxygen plasma reaction.