Chemical Reactions of Methane in a Triboelectric Discharge

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Abstract
Methane can be converted into C2 hydrocarbons and hydrogen in a triboelectric discharge arising from the intermittent contacting of mercury with a glass surface. The discharge is a result of the accumulation of high densities of static charge at the interface by the transfer of electrons from the mercury to the glass. Excited species with energies up to 20 eV above their ground states have been detected by spectroscopic examination of the discharge. The effects of physical parameters such as surface area and surface nature on the triboelectrification process have been examined. Both the area and nature of the solid surface influence the extent of breakdown and discharge. The rates of conversion are virtually invariant with pressure from 760 to 200 Torr, but at 200 Torr they increase sharply before gradually falling off again as the pressure is further reduced. This behavior is explained in terms of the opposite effects of pressure on the electrical breakdown of the gas and on the rates of the chemical reactions accompanying the discharge. The pressure at which the rise in yield occurs has been used to estimate the production of an average static charge density of 2 e.s.u. cm−2 by contact electrification at a mercury/glass interface. The effects of inert gases and oxygen have also been studied and the results of these experiments together with a comparison of the products formed in other decomposition processes suggest that CH2 and CH3 are important intermediates in the triboprocess occurring in methane.

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