Ionization Properties of Gaseous Refrigerants Explored
Recent research by Suriyaprasanth S and Dhanoj Gupta has focused on the electron impact partial ionization cross sections and thermal rate coefficients of various gaseous refrigerants. The study specifically examined Trifluoromethane (CHF3), 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (C2H2F4 or R134a), 1,1,1-Trifluoroethane (C2H3F3 or R143a), 1,1,1-Trifluoropropane (C3H5F3 or R263fb), and 3,3,3-Trifluoropropene (C3H3F3 or R1243zf). The researchers utilized the binary encounter Bethe model to calculate the ionization cross sections, and the results were validated against existing literature, showing good agreement.
The findings are significant for applications in plasma physics, particularly in gas-based detectors used in high-energy physics experiments. Understanding the ionization properties of these refrigerants can aid in improving the efficiency and safety of systems that rely on these substances. The study's data on thermal rate coefficients also contribute to the broader knowledge of how these gases behave under various conditions, which is crucial for their application in technology and industry.
This research is documented in the paper titled "Electron impact partial ionization cross section and thermal rate coefficients of gaseous refrigerants," available on arXiv.