The hydrogenation of methyl on metallic surfaces

The stream technique was used to comparatively analyze the characteristics of the deposition of a-C:H films from methyl radicals transferred by a carrier gas CH₄/C₂H _y /H₂ (y = 2, 4, 6) in a quartz tube with cylindrical insets made of Cu, Ni, Fe, W, Si, and stainless steel (SS), initial and coated with thin Pd or Rh films, over the temperature range 300–1000 K. The deposition of methyl was fully suppressed in a tube section heated to 380–800 K with all the insets specified. During further mixture movement outside this section in the tube with a decreasing wall temperature, carbon deposition resumed. The most effective catalyst of the hydrogenation reaction was stainless steel. Radicals and unsaturated hydrocarbons capable of polymerization at 300–400 K were fully removed from the carrier gas flow (CH₄/C₂H _y /H₂) after several hundreds of collisions with the surface of SS heated to 420–470 K. The possibility of creating an SS recombination filter for hydrocarbon radicals (the performance of radical hydrogenation reactions) transferred by a CH₄/C₂H _y /H₂ laminar flow was demonstrated. The deposition of a thin Pd film (∼10 nm) on steel did not increase the effectiveness of the surface with respect to radical recombination reactions. At the same time, Rh films increased the catalytic effectiveness of the surface of SS with respect to the hydrogenation of methyl and unsaturated hydrocarbons (380–420 K). The data obtained were used to select temperature conditions and mutual arrangement for the construction elements of an ITER diverter made of tungsten and stainless steel.