Estimation of the Probability of Methane Decomposition on Hot Platinum Surface by Thermionic Emission PDF

Keywords

methane, platinum, thermionic emission

Abstract

The electron emission from hot metals, thermionic emission, is sensitive to changes in the metal surface conditions. It provides a continuous response to changes in the surface coverage especially in the early stage o adsorption. The adsorption of gases on the surface generally causes a charge in the electron emission. Thus, from changes in the electron emission, the probability of decomposition may be found. A relation between the hydrocarbon decomposition probability and the initial rate of thermionic emission increase has been found. This was experimentally tested in the case of methane decomposition on hot platinum surface. The simplicity and the sensitivity of this techniques make it an attractive one. This paper will describe the use of thermionic emission for the estimation of the decomposition probability of methane on platinum surface