On S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ formation in spark breakdown of SF/sub 6/

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7148990

Sauers, I; Votaw, P C; Griffin, G D; Kurka, K; Easterly, C E

Recent biological testing (1) of sparked SF/sub 6/ has yielded results that implicate the existence of S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ in the sparked gas and suggest that S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ may play an important role in the over-all toxicity of sparked SF/sub 6/. Additionally, experiments on heated sparked SF/sub 6/ and direct biological testing of S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ have strengthened the above claims. We report on the gas chromatographic (GC) analyses of sparked SF/sub 6/ and the comparison with the analyses of 0.5% S/sub 2/F/sub 10/SF/sub 6/ mixtures. Under the GC conditions which were employed, a peak is observed at elution times identical (to within 0.8%) to the S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ peak in the S/sub 2/F/sub 10/SF/sub 6/ samples. Measurements made on SO/sub 2/SOF/sub 2/SF/sub 6/ mixtures indicate that SO/sub 2/ elutes from the column at times extremely close to but slightly longer than (by 10%) what we believe to be the S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ peak. Although complete confirmation of the identification of S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ in our sparked SF/sub 6/ samples awaits further measurements by mass spectrometry of the GC effluent, our conclusion based on these analyses indicates that S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ is formed in amounts (on the order of hundreds of ppM) consistent with concentrations necessary for producing the toxic effects which we have previously observed. 13 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 7148990
• Report Number(s): CONF-880625-2; ON: DE88008088
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHROMATOGRAPHY
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
KINETICS
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR FLUORIDES
SYNTHESIS
THERMAL DEGRADATION
TOXICITY