Nitric oxide atmospheric oxidation

Air pollution can be considered to have three components sources, transport and transformations in the atmosphere, and receptors. The source emits airborne substances that, when released, are transported through the atmosphere. Some of the substances interact with sunlight or chemical species in the atmosphere and are transformed. Pollutants that are emitted directiy to the atmosphere are called primary pollutants pollutants that are formed in the atmosphere as a result of transformations are called secondary pollutants. The reactants that undergo transformation are referred to as precursors. An example of a secondary pollutant is O, and its precursors are NMHC and nitrogen oxides, NO, a combination of nitric oxide [10102-43-9] NO, and NO2. The receptor is the person, animal, plant, material, or ecosystem affected by the emissions. 

Reduction of metal oxides with hydrogen is of interest in the metals refining industry (94,95) (see Metallurgy). Hydrogen is also used to reduce sulfites to sulfides in one step in the removal of SO2 pollutants (see Airpollution) (96). Hydrogen reacts directiy with SO2 under catalytic conditions to produce elemental sulfur and H2S (97—98). Under certain conditions, hydrogen reacts with nitric oxide, an atmospheric poUutant and contributor to photochemical smog, to produce N2 ... 

At the high temperatures found in MHD combustors, nitrogen oxides, NO, are formed primarily by gas-phase reactions, rather than from fuel-bound nitrogen. The principal constituent is nitric oxide [10102-43-9] NO, and the amount formed is generally limited by kinetics. Equilibrium values are reached only at very high temperatures. NO decomposes as the gas cools, at a rate which decreases with temperature. If the combustion gas cools too rapidly after the MHD channel the NO has insufficient time to decompose and excessive amounts can be released to the atmosphere. Below about 1800 K there is essentially no thermal decomposition of NO. 

In a vacuum, uncoated molybdenum metal has an unlimited life at high temperatures. This is also tme under the vacuum-like conditions of outer space. Pure hydrogen, argon, and hehum atmospheres are completely inert to molybdenum at all temperatures, whereas water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous and nitric oxides have an oxidizing action at elevated temperatures. Molybdenum is relatively inert to carbon dioxide, ammonia, and nitrogen atmospheres up to about 1100°C a superficial nitride film may be formed at higher temperatures in the latter two gases. Hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide may carburize molybdenum at temperatures above 1100°C. 

Effect of Nitric Oxide on Ozone Depletion. Nitrous oxide is injected into the atmosphere from natural sources on earth about 10% is converted to nitric oxide (N20 + 0( D) — 2 NO), which in turn can catalyze the destmction of ozone (11,32,75). The two main cycles are 1 and 2. Rate constant data are given in Reference 11. 

The Kestner-Johnson dissolver is widely used for the preparation of silver nitrate (11). In this process, silver bars are dissolved in 45% nitric acid in a pure oxygen atmosphere. Any nitric oxide, NO, produced is oxidized to nitrogen dioxide, NO2, which in turn reacts with water to form more nitric acid and nitric oxide. The nitric acid is then passed over a bed of granulated silver in the presence of oxygen. Most of the acid reacts. The resulting solution contains silver at ca 840 g/L (12). This solution can be further purified using charcoal (13), alumina (14), and ultraviolet radiation (15). 

Nitric oxide, NO, results from high-temperature combustion, both in stationary sources such as power plants or industrial plants in the production of process heat and in internal combustion engines in vehicles. The NO is oxidized in the atmosphere, usually rather slowly, or more rapidly if there is ozone present, to nitrogen dioxide, NO2. NO2 also reacts further with other constituents, forming nitrates, which is also in fine parhculate form. 

A substantial portion of fhe gas and vapors emitted to the atmosphere in appreciable quantity from anthropogenic sources tends to be relatively simple in chemical structure carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxide from combustion processes hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride from industrial processes. The solvents and gasoline fractions that evaporate are alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics with relatively simple structures. In addition, more complex... 

Nitric oxide combines readily with atmospheric oxygen at ambient temperature to produce brown fumes of pungent nitrogen dioxide, and in the presence of charcoal with chlorine to form nitrosyl chloride ... 

Nitric oxide (NO) is a minor but villainous component of the atmosphere. It is involved in the formation of both smog (Chapter 11) and acid rain (Chapter 14). You may be surprised to learn that small amounts of NO are also produced in the human body, where it has a generally beneficial effect. In particular, it has the ability to dilate blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the likelihood of strokes or heart attacks. Beyond that, NO is effective in treating what television commercials refer to as erectile dysfunction it increases blood flow to the penis. 

CO to CO2 (e.g. Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts 1986). The role of HOj in any of these atmospheric cleansing and oxidant formation pathways is a catalytic one, but the generation of ozone is strongly dependent upon the nitric oxide concentration. 

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Is a major pollutant originating from natural and man-made sources. It has been estimated that a total of about 150 million tons of NOx are emitted to the atmosphere each year, of which about 50% results from man-made sources (21). In urban areas, man-made emissions dominate, producing elevated ambient levels. Worldwide, fossil-fuel combustion accounts for about 75% of man-made NOx emissions, which Is divided equally between stationary sources, such as power plants, and mobile sources. These high temperature combustion processes emit the primary pollutant nitric oxide (NO), which Is subsequently transformed to the secondary pollutant NO2 through photochemical oxidation. 

As another example from chemical kinetics, we consider the catalytic reduction of nitric oxide (NO) by hydrogen which was studied using a flow reactor operated differentially at atmospheric pressure (Ayen and Peters, 1962). The following reaction was considered to be important... 

Presently, there is a general consensus that heterogeneous catalytic processes play an important role in environmental issues regarding their high selectivity towards the removal of undesired side products, such as atmospheric pollutants, in comparison with that obtained from non-catalysed processes. However, such a benefit could be disputed in the future with the implementation of severe restrictions on standard emission of those atmospheric pollutants, particularly nitric oxide, which is a very challenging aspect. 

In order to calculate the steady-state concentration of ozone in the stratosphere, we need to balance the rate of production of odd oxygen with its rate of destruction. Chapman originally thought that the destruction was due to the reaction O + 03 —> 2O2, but we now know that this pathway is a minor sink compared to the catalytic destruction of 03 by the trace species OH, NO, and Cl. The former two of these are natural constituents of the atmosphere, formed primarily in the photodissociation of water or nitric oxide, respectively. The Cl atoms are produced as the result of manmade chlorofluorocarbons, which are photodissociated by sunlight in the stratosphere to produce free chlorine atoms. It was Rowland and Molina who proposed in 1974 that the reactions Cl + 03 —> CIO + O2 followed by CIO + O —> Cl + O2 could act to reduce the concentration of stratospheric ozone.10 The net result of ah of these catalytic reactions is 2O3 — 3O2. 

---