BURNUP RATES OF POWDERS BEHIND A NORMAL SHOCK WAVE

Abstract : The burnup rate of Teflon powders in a shock-heated argon bath has been studied with the use of a shock tube. The rate of disappearance of the ablating particles was monitored by measuring the absorption, at 2536A, of CF 2, which is the end product in the (assumed) reaction where Teflon (solid vaporization) depolymerizers to give C2F4(gas) which dissociates to CF2(gas). The data, which was obtained over the temperature interval of 1600-3100 K, was interpreted to deduce the thermal accommodation coefficient for argon/Teflon collisions. The coefficient was found to be of order unity. (Author)