Magazine Article

Catalyst for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

TBMG-8076

06/01/2010

Abstract
Content

In many applications, it is highly desirable to operate a CO2 laser in a sealed condition, for in an open system the laser requires a continuous flow of laser gas to remove the dissociation products that occur in the discharge zone of the laser, in order to maintain a stable power output. This adds to the operating cost of the laser, and in airborne or space applications, it also adds to the weight penalty of the laser. In a sealed CO2 laser, a small amount of CO2 gas is decomposed in the electrical discharge zone into corresponding quantities of CO and O2. As the laser continues to operate, the concentration of CO2 decreases, while the concentrations of CO and O2 correspondingly increase. The increasing concentration of O2 reduces laser power, because O2 scavenges electrons in the electrical discharge, thereby causing arcing in the electric discharge and a loss of the energetic electrons required to boost CO2 molecules to lasing energy levels. As a result, laser power decreases rapidly.

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Citation
"Catalyst for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation," Mobility Engineering, June 1, 2010.
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
Jun 1, 2010
Product Code
TBMG-8076
Content Type
Magazine Article
Language
English