A shock tube study of OH + H(2)O(2) --> H(2)O + HO(2) and H(2)O(2) + M --> 2OH + M using laser absorption of H(2)O and OH.

The rate constants of the reactions: (1) H2O2+M-->2OH+M, (2) OH+H2O2-->H2O+HO2 were measured in shock-heated H(2)O(2)/Ar mixtures using laser absorption diagnostics for H(2)O and OH. Time-histories of H(2)O were monitored using tunable diode laser absorption at 2550.96 nm, and time-histories of OH were achieved using ring dye laser absorption at 306 nm. Initial H(2)O(2) concentrations were also determined utilizing the H(2)O diagnostic. On the basis of simultaneous time-history measurements of OH and H(2)O, k(2) was found to be 4.6 x 10(13) exp(-2630 K/T) [cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1)] over the temperature range 1020-1460 K at 1.8 atm; additional measurements of k(2) near 1 atm showed no significant pressure dependence. Similarly, k(1) was found to be 9.5 x 10(15) exp(-21 250 K/T) [cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1)] over the same temperature and pressure range.