Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.106, No.40, 9233-9235, 2002
A shock tube study of the product branching ratio of the NH2+NO reaction at high temperatures
The product branching ratio of NH2 + NO --> NNH + OH and NH2 + NO --> N-2 + H2O has been determined in the temperature range 1826-2159 K in a shock tube study. The pressure range behind reflected shock waves was 1.10 to 1.21 bar. The time history of the NH2 radical was measured using a frequency modulation absorption technique. The initial gas mixture compositions were 8-28 ppm monomethylamine (CH3NH2), 0.4-1.2% ammonia (NHA and 0.4% NO, and the balance Ar. According to sensitivity analysis using a detailed 125-reaction mechanism, the NH2 profiles are mainly sensitive to the branching ratio alpha = k(1a)/(k(1a) + k(1b)) under the experimental conditions of this study, and they exhibit only a small sensitivity to secondary reactions and the overall rate coefficient, k(1) = k(1a) + k(1b). The branching ratio increases from 0.59 +/- 0.02 at 1826 K to 0.66 +/- 0.04 at 2159 K. These results are consistent with our earlier measurements of the branching ratio at lower temperature and agree with the theoretical result of Miller and Klippenstein.