The Spectra of Flames Supported by Fluorine

Part I. Flames with organic substances. Fluorine reacts with most organic substances, the reaction being accompanied by a flame. The spectra of several of these flames are described. The hydrocarbon/fluorine flames emit C₂ and CH bands. The organic halide/fluorine flames emit a yellow-green continuum, but the gradual addition of hydrogen causes first heavy carbon formation, which then decreases as C₂ bands, then CH begin to appear until, finally, only C₂ and CH bands are emitted. The 4050 angstrom comet-head group of bands appear in these flames under conditions giving carbon formation and strong C₂ and weak CH. The similarity of the spectra of the hydrocarbon/fluorine and hydrocarbon/oxygen flames and the possible mechanisms for carbon and C₂ and CH formation in these flames are discussed. The possible identity of the emitter of the 4050 angstrom comet-head group is discussed. Part II. Flames with inorganic substances. The reactions of fluorine with many inorganic substances are accompanied by flames. The spectra of the fluorine-supported flames with hydrogen, sulphur, water and ammonia have been studied. Sulphur is a persistent impurity in the hydrogen flame which proves to be a good source for the SH(0, 0) emission band. The water flame emits the oxygen Schumann-Runge bands with unusual appearance due to a low rotational temperature; the vibrational intensity distribution of the Schumann-Runge bands in this source has been studied and is found to agree quite well with the theoretically predicted distribution. The ammonia flame emits new bands in addition to the NH(0, 0) band at 3360 angstrom; these bands are identical with those observed in hydrogen azide explosions and their assignment to the NH radical is thus supported.