Catalyst for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

This catalyst forms carbon dioxide in a high-powered, pulsed CO₂ laser.

In many applications, it is highly desirable to operate a CO₂ laser in a sealed condition, for in an open system the laser requires a continuous flow of laser gas to remove the dissociation products that occur in the discharge zone of the laser, in order to maintain a stable power output. This adds to the operating cost of the laser, and in airborne or space applications, it also adds to the weight penalty of the laser. In a sealed CO₂ laser, a small amount of CO₂ gas is decomposed in the electrical discharge zone into corresponding quantities of CO and O₂. As the laser continues to operate, the concentration of CO₂ decreases, while the concentrations of CO and O₂ correspondingly increase. The increasing concentration of O₂ reduces laser power, because O₂ scavenges electrons in the electrical discharge, thereby causing arcing in the electric discharge and a loss of the energetic electrons required to boost CO₂ molecules to lasing energy levels. As a result, laser power decreases rapidly.