ClONO{sub 2} reactivity on simulated PSC surfaces

Conference · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 UTC 1996

OSTI ID:369996

Henson, B F; Wilson, K R; Robinson, J M ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); and others

Experimental work in many laboratories has established that the efficiency of the heterogeneous reactions of ClONO{sub 2} with H{sub 2}O and HO on simulated polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) surfaces varies by orders of magnitude as a function of H{sub 2}O vapor pressure over a surface. We present a physical adsorption model of the ClONO{sub 2} + H{sub 2}O reaction which explains this dependence based on the coverage of the acid hydrate surface by H{sub 2}O as a function of relative humidity. The dependence of ClONO{sub 2} reactivity on temperature and H{sub 2}O surface coverage differentiates this model from others currently in the literature. These differences will be discussed in the context of kinetic mechanisms and experiments will be proposed which will more clearly distinguish between competing mechanisms. The reaction ClONO{sub 2} + HCl on a nitric acid surface is poorly described by this model and possible alternative mechanisms will be described.

• OSTI ID: 369996
• Report Number(s): CONF-960376--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
HUMIDITY
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
POLLUTANTS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VAPOR PRESSURE