Silent Discharge Reactions in Aqueous Solutions. III. Acidic Aqueous Solutions of Ferrous Sulfate and Ceric Sulfate in a Hydrogen Atmosphere

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Abstract
A study has been made of silent discharge reactions in aqueous solutions of ferrous sulfate and ceric sulfate acidified with sulfuric acid in a hydrogen atmosphere. The present study has confirmed that silent discharge leads to the formation of hydrogen peroxide from water molecules in a dilute sulfuric acid solution, the oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions, and the reduction of ceric ions to cerous ions. The same reactions were previously studied in inert gases. A satisfactory interpretation can be made of their mechanisms by taking into consideration the action on the solvent of slow electrons produced in the gaseous phase. In a hydrogen atmosphere, the yields of the foregoing reactions were very small when compared with those in the case of inert gases; however, a good linear correlation was observed between the yield and the duration time of discharge. From these results it has been concluded that the yields can be well interpreted by taking into consideration the action of active species of hydrogen generated in the gaseous phase on the radicals formed from liquid water, besides the action of slow electrons; moreover, the action of active species on the solute cannot be serious. The absorbed dose in the solution was estimated to be approximately 1.9×107 r./hr. from the relation of the dissipated energy calculated electrically to the absorbed dose.