Discharge driven silver oxide catalyst with application to a CO. sub.2 laser

摘要

A device and process using Ag.sub.2 O.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2 O.sub. 3 as a catalyst for oxidizing carbon monoxide to form CO.sub.2 at temperatures between 20° C. and 120° C. This has particular application to CO.sub.2 lasers. In one CO.sub.2 laser embodiment, silver is distributed on the walls of the discharge volume. The silver is divided to form electrically isolated islands to prevent interference with the discharge. After an activation process, energetic forms of oxygen, such as atomic oxygen, reacts with the silver to form endothermic silver oxides which can be easily reduced by CO. In another embodiment, the Ag. sub.2 O.sub.2 or Ag.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalyst is used in a convective flow laser.