Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Detailed chemistry and thermodynamics of sodium in oxygen-rich flames

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6233757
Measurement of sodium and OH concentrations in ten oxygen-rich H/sub 2//O/sub 2//N/sub 2/ flames by saturated and low-power laser induced fluorescence techniques respectively have permitted a detailed examination of the pronounced flame chemistry of sodium in such oxygen rich media. Previous interpretations have been shown to be largely incomplete or in error. The flame downstream profiles indicate that the amount of free sodium tracks the decay of H-atom and as the flame radicals decay sodium becomes increasingly bound in a molecular form. A detailed kinetic model indicates that the sodium is distributed between NaOH and NaO/sub 2/ species. Concentrations of NaO are very small and NaH negligible. The actual distribution is controlled by the state of equilibrium of the flames' basic free radicals. Na, NaO/sub 2/ and NaOH are all coupled to one another by fast reactions which can rapidly interconvert one to another as flame conditions vary. Above about 2000K, NaOH becomes dominant whereas NaO/sub 2/ plays an increasingly important contribution at lower temperatures.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA)
OSTI ID:
6233757
Report Number(s):
N-8317626; CONF-821035-12
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English