WIDE-TEMPERATURE RANGE OBSERVATIONS ON REACTIONS OF METAL ATOMS AND SMALL RADICALS

The role of metal species in combustion processes, whether as fuels, a dditives, or, (often toxic) impurities is described. Optimization and control of these, and other, high-temperature processes requires under standing and knowledge of the kinetics of the individual gas-phase rea ctions involved, leading to meaningful models. Our experimental techni ques to study the reactions in isolation from each other are discussed . The equipment used allows measurements in the approximately 300-1800 K temperature range, at pressures from 10-1000 mbar. Semi-empirical t echniques have been developed to predict the temperature dependence of the rate coefficients for further reactions. Recent findings show tha t association and insertion reactions can play an important role in ca ses where abstraction was thought to be the operative mechanism.