THE CHEMICAL-KINETICS FOR THE REACTION OF O(P-3) WITH ETHYLENE

The kinetics of the reaction between O(P-3) and C2H4 was investigated by measuring time-dependent concentrations of OH resulting from the reaction by using the LIF detection. Oxygen atoms were generated by titrating microwave discharged N-2/He with NO to the chemiluminescent end point. The operating pressures in the flow reactor ranged from 5 to 15 torr and the mixtures consisted of He/O(P-3)/C2H4 in the approximate ratios from 100/1/0.1 to 100/1/1. The controlled residence time prior to the detection were estimated to be 0.8-17 ms at the reactor pressure of 7 torr. Experimentally determined profiles both in shape and magnitude were compared with the computed OH density for a specified set of experimental parameters, allowing us to arrive at a complete mechanism for the reaction of O(P-3) with ethylene.