A Model for Fluorine Recombination at a Metal Surface

A steady state model for fluorine atom recombination for temperatures less than 800 K on a metal catalytic surface was developed based on the Rideal heterogeneous reaction mechanism. The model is comprised of three distinct process 1 the bonding process of gas-phase fluorine atoms to the metal surface, 2 the collision and subsequent recombination process of gas-phase atoms and surface-bonded fluorine atoms and 3 the rate process at which the bonding and recombination take place considering the surface coverage. The model was compared with actual fluorine recombination data taken for a nickel tube in which a gas mixture of atomic fluorine, molecular fluorine, and argon flowed. The results of this comparison validated the model and extended the verification of the Rideal mechanism for heterogeneous recombination. Computations using the wall recombination model were made for a two-dimensional slit nozzle of the type used in fluorine chemical lasers, using a two-dimensional chemically reacting laminar boundary layer computer code.