Silent Dischayge Involving Catalysis 



183 



superimposed on the other, are apt to be rather too complicated for 

 theoretical treatment. The conclusion that the effects are in large part 

 catalytic, is seen to be justified from the following experiments. 



EXPERIMENTAL. A Liebig condenser forms a convenient labora- 

 tory apparatus for testing the effects of different dielectric materials 

 upon various combinations of gases. The outer jacket with its cooling 

 water running through serves as one electrode and it is convenient to 

 use an aluminum wire at the axis of the tube for the other electrode. 

 Aluminum is covered with a very coherent coating of oxide which de- 

 creases its catalytic activity, apparently as far as the corona discharge 

 is concerned. A small experimental transformer with the ratio of 120:1 

 was used and the connections are given in figure 4. The power actually 

 supplied to the tube has not been determined in these first experiments. 

 The secondary voltage was simply obtained from the transformer ratio 



D 



Fitr- 1- Diagram of connections. 



and the reading of the voltmeter. Air, carbon monoxide and mixtures 

 thereof freed from carbon dioxide and moisture have been studied. The 

 arrangement of the apparatus is indicated in figure 5. 



The dielectric materials experimented with have included fragments 

 of ordinary glass rods, of quartz glass, of earthenware (clay marbles) 

 with and without impregnation with beeswax. Crystalline hematite, as 

 well as white and blue flint were also used in addition to glass wool. 

 Some experiments were made with no fragments of dielectric material 

 around the inner wire electrode. The actual density of the space when 

 packed with glass fragments was twice that when packed with glass 

 wool. The surface of the glass wool, was however immensely the 

 greater, resulting in enhanced chemical effects. 



Some of the curves obtained for ozone formation" in air are given 

 in figure 6 while figure 7 gives similar results for nitric acid yields. 

 Figure 8 gives typical curves for the simultaneous production of both 

 ozone and nitric acid in contact with white flint. With the increase in 



Pvoc. In.l. Acad. Sci. 1921, p. 159, for details of analysis. 



