Charge-Dipole Acceleration of Polar Gas Molecules towards Charged Nanoparticles: Involvement in Powerful Charge-Induced Catalysis of Heterophase Chemical Reactions and Ball Lightning Phenomenon

Figure 10

The electrostatic charge of combustible nanoparticles can be a powerful catalyst of their intense oxidation by polar molecules of water vapour in a humid atmosphere. Due to the additional energy of electrostatic acceleration, polar molecules of water vapour can actively oxidize various highly charged nanoparticles, including nanoparticles consisting of materials, which are relatively inert at temperatures of ≤700 K (e.g., such as soot and other carbon-based nanoparticles that, when uncharged, are inert in humid air at these temperatures). During the process of such charge-catalyzed humid air oxidation of combustible nanoparticles by surrounding water vapour molecules, various combustible gases can be generated (e.g., hydrogen gas when oxidizing nanoparticles consisting of some reactive metals; or a mixture of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide when oxidizing some carbon-containing nanoparticles; or hydrogen sulphide gas when oxidizing some metal sulphide nanoparticles). Repeating processes of auto-ignition of evolved combustible gases can accompany water vapour-induced oxidation of charged combustible nanoparticles in humid air. When the autoignition of the combustible gases takes place within such a cloud, a flame is not always visible. In the case of the water vapour induced oxidation of charged metal/metalloid nanoparticles, for example, the iron or aluminium or silicon ones, the evolved hydrogen gas can be auto-ignited without a visible flame.