Effects of Chemical Reactions on the Bimolecular Rate Constant

Abstract

The dependence of the bimolecular rate constant on the reaction rate, degree of anisotropic scattering, mass ratio, and other parameters is investigated by considering the Boltzmann equation for a dilute homogeneous reacting gas. For highly anisotropic elastic scattering, a differential form of the Boltzmann equation is derived and a solution obtained, which yields an analytical expression for the rate constant. It is found that the correction to the standard reaction‐rate formula is significant for highly anisotropic scattering, small mass ratios, and large reaction cross sections.