KINETICS OF REACTIONS IN CH4 N-2 AFTERGLOW PLASMA - A SIMPLIFIED MODEL/

Processes in CH4/N-2 microwave plasma are studied by computer experime nt based on experimental data derived from the nitrogen flowing afterg low discharge, By means of a macroscopic kinetic approach, the origina l model consisting of 61 chemical reactions between 24 active species in the discharge is analysed in detail, the main attention being devot ed both to the initial stages of methane decomposition and to the yiel d of stable products together with the most important reactions for th e production of individual species. From these reactions the new simpl ified model is formulated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.