Mass-Spectral Studies of Kinetics behind Shock Waves. III. Thermal Dissociation of Fluorine

Abstract

The thermal dissociation of molecular fluorine in an inert gas was investigated over the temperature range 1650°—2700°K in a shock tube coupled to a time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. Rate constants were determined from both fluorine molecule and atom analysis in mixtures containing 1% F₂ or less. The results are compared with the results for other diatomic molecules and the variations discussed. A simple correlation between the orifice flow parameters and the experimental spectra is presented along with some information concerning the rather elusive boundary layer.