There will be two major thrusts to this program. First, the chemical mechanisms of fullerene formation in a sooting flame will be investigated, with an end-goal of developing an optimized inexpensive path to fullerene production. As part of this activity, a thorough parameter-space search of the variables important to fullerene formation will be carried out, with guidance being provided by previous thermodynamic studies. Inasmuch as these studies have indicated that temperatures in excess of available adiabatic flame temperatures may be advantageous to fullerene production, experiments in which additional energy is coupled into the flames in the form of microwave or radio-frequency radiation will be carried out. As part of this study, various possible mechanisms for fullerene production will be modelled and tested against data obtained in the experimental part of the study. Secondly, the use of an infrared laser system to continuously monitor efficiency of hazardous waste incinerators will be studied. Chemical kinetic modeling studies of incineration of chlorinated hydrocarbons have identified intermediates of combustion on whose infrared transmissions the lasers should be tuned; experiments to verify this approach to development of an effective continuous monitoring system will be carried out. Both research projects have important potential applications. In the first case, development of means for relatively inexpensive production of fullerenes is important to further development of potential uses for these materials. In the second case, a current deficiency in incineration technology tending to block use of such methods is lack of an on-line real-time process monitor which can be incorporated in a controller scheme to minimize or eliminate escape of toxic materials during incinerator operation transients resulting from various causes.
