The temperature dependence of the rate constant for the reaction F + C2H6

The temperature dependence of the rate constant for the reaction F + C2H6 has been determined by a competitive method using the F + CH4 reaction as a reference reaction. Ratios of rate constants kF+C2H6/kF+CH4 were determined by a discharge-flow-mass spectrometric technique at four temperatures in the range 189–298 K. These ratios were combined with values of kF+CH4 from an earlier study to obtain absolute values for kF+C2H6. The Arrhenius expression calculated from the results is kF+C2H6=(1.95±0.25)×10−10exp[−(180±70)/T] cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The present results are compared with previous published results.