Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Chemi-ionization in oxyacetylene flames

Abstract

The identity of the first ion formed in hydrocarbon flames has created much discussion. Two species have been favoured1–7, produced in the chemi-ionization processes: CH + O → CHO+ + e (1) CH* + C2H2 → C3H3+ + e (2) Reaction (2) is usually taken to involve electronically excited CH, in which case reaction (2), like reaction (1) with ground state CH, is close to thermoneutral. Experimental evidence has been claimed for both. For example, Peeters et al.3 prefer reaction (1), while Calcote et al.4 have suggested that reaction (2) is necessary to explain the abundance of ions in fuel-rich flames. Interestingly, evidence for CHO+ has been obtained1,3,5 from either non-acetylene flames or those with low C/O ratios, while evidence for C3H3+ appears2,4,6,7 in fuel-rich acetylene flames, where [C2H2] is high and [O] is low. We describe here a mass spectrometric study of fuel-rich acetylene flames, and attempt to clarify the picture. Evidence is presented which suggests that both reactions operate simultaneously in oxyacetylene flames.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Green, J. A. & Sugden, T. M. 9th int. Symp. Combustion, 607 (1963).

  2. Knewstubb, P. F. & Sugden, T. M. 7th int. Symp. Combustion, 247 (1959).

  3. Peeters, J., Vinckier, C. & van Tiggelen, A. Oxid. Combust. Rev. 4, 93 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Calcote, H. F., Kurzius, S. C. & Miller, W. J. 10th int. Symp. Combustion, 605 (1965).

  5. Miller, W. J. 11th int. Symp. Combustion, 311 (1967).

  6. Tse, R. S., Michaud, P. & Delfau, J. L. Nature 272, 153 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kistiakowski, G. B. & Michael, J. V. J. chem. Phys. 40, 1447 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hayhurst, A. N., Mitchell, F. R. G. & Telford, N. R. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Phys. 7, 177 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Vinckier, C., Gardner, M. P. & Bates, K. D. 16th int. Symp. Combustion, 881 (1977).

  10. Homann, K. H. & Wagner, H. G. llth int. Symp. Combustion, 371 (1967).

  11. Michaud, P., Delfau, J. L. & Barassin, A. 18th int. Symp. Combustion, 443 (1981).

  12. Ogden, J. E. thesis, Univ. Sheffield (1979).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hayhurst, A., Jones, H. Chemi-ionization in oxyacetylene flames. Nature 296, 61–63 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/296061a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/296061a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing