Collisional detachment of electron in sulphur hexafluoride

The collisional detachment of electrons from SF 6 - in gaseous F 6 was measured with a double-chamber current growth technique. Mass spectrometer sampling of the negative ions enabled the in-molecule reactions to be identified. Thus the conversions SF 6 - to SF 5 -, SF 5 - to F - and F - to SF 6 - were found to be important. At E/N of about 400 Td, the detachment coefficient was determined as about 5*10 -17 cm 2 .