Abstract
CERTAIN metals, when introduced into pre-mixed, hydrogen + oxygen + nitrogen flames (T ∼ 2,000° K) burning above a Meker type burner, give a whitish, streaky appearance to the flame1. Such streaks appear, for example, when chromium, vanadium, titanium, cobalt, nickel or iron (to mention but a few) are introduced in the form of fine sprays of dilute salt solutions. These streaks almost certainly originate from chemiluminescent reactions involving H and/or OH radicals on the surfaces of particles of involatile oxides1, and their visible appearance alone clearly indicates that the particles consist of many molecular units. Light scattering and electron microscopy studies2,3 have shown similar particles to have sizes in the range 0.005–25µ.
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KELLY, R., PADLEY, P. Observations on the Shape of Chromium Oxide Particles in Hydrogen + Oxygen + Nitrogen Pre-mixed and Diffusion Flames. Nature 216, 258–259 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/216258a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/216258a0
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