Method and apparatus for the initiation of chemical reactions
First Claim
1. A method for initiating and accelerating vapor phase chemical reactions in a mixture of reactant species including the steps of:
- supplying a plurality of reactant species to a reaction chamber;
continuously flowing the reactant species through the reaction chamber;
maintaining the reaction chamber at a pressure such that the vibration-rotation spectra of the reactant species are pressure-broadened to enhance the efficiency of absorption of laser radiation;
selectively exciting vibrational modes of at least one of the continuously flowing reactant species with a continuous wave laser which emits radiation that is absorbed by the vibrational mode of at least one reactant species to achieve a condition of high molecular vibrational excitations and low translational temperature to create a nonequilibrium mixture of the reactant species whereby the rate of vapor phase chemical reactions is accelerated while the translational and rotational modes of the mixture of reactant species is maintained relatively cold; and
withdrawing the reaction products from the reaction chamber.
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Abstract
Laser radiation is employed to initiate and promote chemical reactions by creating states of molecular vibrational mode excitation exceeding those appropriate to the translational temperature of the medium in one or more of the reactants. In favorable cases, vibrational excitation in a certain vibrational normal mode of a reactant will act to accelerate the rate of a desired chemical reaction. The reactants can be pressurized so that their vibration-rotation spectrum can be broadened to the point that laser radiation can be absorbed without the need for exact coincidence between a line or lines of the spectrum of the reactant and that of available lasers. Provision can be made for isolation and analysis of products, recycling of unused reactants, temperature control of reactants and real-time monitoring of the state of vibrational excitation of the reactants.
58 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for initiating and accelerating vapor phase chemical reactions in a mixture of reactant species including the steps of:
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supplying a plurality of reactant species to a reaction chamber; continuously flowing the reactant species through the reaction chamber; maintaining the reaction chamber at a pressure such that the vibration-rotation spectra of the reactant species are pressure-broadened to enhance the efficiency of absorption of laser radiation; selectively exciting vibrational modes of at least one of the continuously flowing reactant species with a continuous wave laser which emits radiation that is absorbed by the vibrational mode of at least one reactant species to achieve a condition of high molecular vibrational excitations and low translational temperature to create a nonequilibrium mixture of the reactant species whereby the rate of vapor phase chemical reactions is accelerated while the translational and rotational modes of the mixture of reactant species is maintained relatively cold; and
withdrawing the reaction products from the reaction chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for initiating and accelerating vapor phase chemical reactions in a mixture of reactant species including the steps of:
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supplying a plurality of reactant species to a reaction chamber; continuously flowing the reactant species through the reaction chamber; maintaining the reaction chamber at a pressure such that the vibration-rotation spectra of the reactant species are pressure-broadened to enhance the efficiency of absorption of laser radiation; selectively exciting vibrational modes of at least one of the continuously flowing reactant species by using a transfer gas which absorbs radiation energy emitted by a continuous wave pumping laser and transfers the absorbed energy to the reactant species by inelastic molecular collisions to achieve a condition of high molecular vibrational excitations and low translational temperature to create a nonequilibrium mixture of the reactant species whereby the rate of vapor phase chemical reactions is accelerated while the translational and rotational modes of the mixture of reactant species is maintained relatively cold; and
withdrawing the reaction products from the reaction chamber.
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9. Apparatus for initiating and accelerating vapor phase chemical reactions in a mixture of reactant species including:
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reaction vessel means defining a flow-through high-pressure cell having inlet means for supplying a plurality of reactant species, outlet means for withdrawing reaction products and a pair of optically aligned windows which are transparent to laser radiation; and means including a continuous wave, high power, short wavelength, electrically excited supersonic flow laser for selectively creating a state of vibrational excitation of at least one of the reactant species whereby the vibrational degree of freedom of said at least one reactant species is much higher than is appropriate to the translational temperature of the mixture of reactant species so that vapor phase chemical reactions are promoted. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification