25.9: Other Gas Mixtures
- Page ID
- 32769
The oxygen required to cause oxidation in the gas phase need not to come from oxygen gas. Consider the following reaction:
2CO (g) + O2 (g) = 2CO2 (g)
For this reaction,
\[ K_{ \frac{CO}{CO_2} } = \frac {p^2_{CO_2}} {p^2_{CO} p_{O_2}} \]
or
\[ p_{O_2} = \frac {p^2_{CO_2}} {p^2_{CO}} K_{ \frac{CO}{CO_2}} \]
and hence
\[ ln \frac{1}{p_{O_2}} = ln K_{ \frac{CO}{CO_2} } +2 ln \frac {p_{CO}} {p_{CO_2}} \]
\[ = \frac{-\Delta G}{RT} \]
We see that p_O2 is equivalent to a ratio:
\[ \frac{p_{CO_2}}{p_{CO}} \]
Another nomographic scale may be added to the diagram, with a new origin, C where the CO/CO2 line crosses the y-axis.
Similarly for the reaction 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O; pO2 is equivalent to
\[ \frac{p_{H_2O}}{p_{H_2}} \]
Adding a further nomographic scale to the diagram, we see that the equilibrium pressure ratios of CO and CO2 or H2 and H2O for a given oxidation of metal, or reduction of an oxide, can be deduced at a given temperature from the diagram.