AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CATALYTIC EFFECT WITH ND1-XSRXCOO3 PEROVSKITE IN A SEALED-OFF CO2-LASER

To improve the lifetime and output power in a sealed-off CO2 laser, a series of Nd1-xSrxCoO3 (x=0.0, 0.25, 0.40, 0.50, 0.60, 0.75) perovskite-type compounds has been synthesized and used for a cathode material. Using a typical method samples were sintered at 1150-degrees-C and their structures were determined as a cubic form by means of XRD analysis. The degrees of CO2 dissociation were measured by PAS (photoacoustic spectroscopy) with the lapse of time. In the case of Nd0.4Sr0.6CoO3, which showed the highest catalytic cathode effect, only 7% of the initial CO2 concentration were dissociated at 30 torr of gas mixture and 5 mA of discharge current. The more the gas pressure decreased and the discharge current increased, the more the degree of dissociation occurred. The ability of catalytic cathode to regenerate CO2 in the laser cavity lies in order for x, 0.60>0.50>0.40>0.75>0.25>>0.0. Except for the case of x=0.0 the amounts of CO2 dissociation were found to be within 7-15% of the initial CO2 concentration.