Document Type

Research

Abstract

There is evidence that the catalytic action of manganese on the decomposition of potassium chlorate involves an alternate oxidation and reduction of the manganese. This evidence can be tested by enriching the oxygen of the catalyst with oxygen¹⁸ isotope. Oxygen liberated from chlorate decomposition with an enriched catalyst should contain oxygen¹⁸. Recently Forkushima et al (1) carried out a similar experiment. They enriched potassium chlorate with oxygen18 and decomposed it with Mn0₂.H₂0 containing ordinary oxygen. Water was formed from successive portions of the liberated oxygen. The density of this water was less than the density of water prepared from oxygen liberated from KC10₃ without a catalyst. They concluded that some unstable compound is formed between KC10₃ and Mn0₂, and that oxygen is liberated from this compound. They further concluded that only a limited portion of the catalyst is used in the reaction. In the present experiment the manganese dioxide was enriched with oxygen¹⁸, and the KC10₃ was normal. Isotopic ratios of liberated oxygen were determined directly by use of a mass spectrograph.

Publication Date

1955

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

258

Last Page

263

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Brown, F. E. and Woods, J. D. (1955) "Oxygen18 as Tracer in the Catalytic Decomposition of Potassium Chlorate," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 62(1), 258-263.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol62/iss1/29

Download

Comments?

COinS

Oxygen18 as Tracer in the Catalytic Decomposition of Potassium Chlorate

Authors