ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY OF HFC-134A - KINETIC AND MECHANISTIC STUDY OF THE CF3CFHO2+NO2 REACTION

A pulse radiolysis system was used to study the kinetics of the reacti on of CF3CFHO2 with NO2. By monitoring the rate of the decay of NO2 us ing its absorption at 400 nm the reaction rate constant was determined to be k = (5.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(-12) cm3 molecule-1 s-1. A long path len gth Fourier-transform infrared technique was used to investigate the t hermal decomposition of the product CF3CFHO2NO2. At 296 K in the prese nce of 700 Torr of air, decomposition of CF3CFHO2NO2 was rapid (greate r than 90% decomposition within 3 min). The results are discussed in t he context of atmospheric chemistry of CF3CFH2 (HFC-134a).