Radical Reaction Mechanisms in Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation of UF₆with Scavenger Gases

Abstract

Abstract The radical reaction mechanisms in the presence of F-atom scavenger gases were investigated in the p-H2 Raman laser-induced infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) of gaseous 236UF6/238UF6 cooled to —35°C in a static gas cell. When CH4 was added as a scavenger of F-atoms produced via IRMPD of UFC, the dissociation rate of UF6 became several tens of times larger than when no scavenger gas was added. Gas-chromatographic analysis revealed that as low as 7% of the nascent CH3 radicals were involved in the radical reaction with UF6. On the other hand, H2 and C2H6 were found to increase both the dissociation rate of UF6 and the contribution of this non-selective reaction. These results agreed with those obtained in the UV photolysis of UF6 with scavengers.