Chemical kinetics modelling of a decaying SF6 arc plasma in the presence of a solid organic insulator, copper, oxygen and water

The composition variations occurring in decaying SF6 are plasmas in the pre sence of atoms released from the vaporization of organic insulators (e.g. T eflon, polyethylene, polypropylene, megelit, nylon), copper, oxygen and wat er were studied between 12 000 K and 300 K by means of a chemical kinetics model. From the results obtained at 300 K and a pressure of 101.3 kPa: (i) the role of the impurities on the formation of the SF6 decomposition produc ts: SF4, SOF2, SO2F2 and S2F10, was determined; (ii) it was confirmed that the vaporization of an organic insulator leads to the appearance of CF4 and an increase in the generation of the major byproduct (SF4 + SOF2) which is correlated to the production of CF4 (iii) it was seen that, for a given am ount of vaporized insulator, insulators that contain fluorine atoms brought about less SF6 decomposition than those that did not.