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THE ADSORPTION AND SURFACE REACTIONS OF HYDROCARBONS ON CLEAN IRIDIUM

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4750463· OSTI ID:4750463
The adsorption of ethane, ethylene, and acetylene on clean iridium in a field emission microscope was found to cause characteristic changes in the work function of the iridium surface. Further changes, which were time and temperature dependent, resulted when such surfaces were heated. Flash filament experiments showed that the changes in work function upon henting are due to desorption reactions and that the desorbed product consists principally of hydrogen. By assuming a linear relationship between surface coverage and work function, it was possible to determine the desorption kinetics from the observed rates of work function change at various temperatures. The results were consistent with a mechanism involving stepwise surface dehydrogenation in which a pair of hydrogen atoms is removed from the hydrocarbon molecule in each step, followed by desorption of the adsorbed hydrogen. At very high temperatures the remainlng carbon atoms are removed, presumably by evaporation. (auth)
Research Organization:
Bell Telephone Labs., Inc., Murray Hill, N.J.; Ames Lab., Ames, Iowa
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
NSA Number:
NSA-17-006660
OSTI ID:
4750463
Report Number(s):
IS-462
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English