Non-self-sustained electric discharge in oxygen gas mixtures: singlet delta oxygen production

The possibility of obtaining a high specific input energy in an electron-beam sustained discharge ignited in oxygen gas mixtures O-2 : Ar : CO (or H-2) at the total gas pressures of 10-100 Torr was experimentally demonstrated. The specific input energy per molecular component exceeded similar to6 kJ l(-1) atm(-1) (150 kJ mol(-1)) as a small amount of carbon monoxide was added into a gas mixture of oxygen and argon. It was theoretically demonstrated that one might expect to obtain a singlet delta oxygen yield of 25% exceeding its threshold value needed for an oxygen-iodine laser operation at room temperature, when maintaining a non-self-sustained discharge in oxygen gas mixtures with molecular additives CO, H-2 or D-2. The efficiency of singlet delta oxygen production can be as high as 40%.