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From: lampman@heurikon.UUCP (Ray Lampman)
Newsgroups: sci.misc,sci.physics,sci.research
Subject: Ozone, summary of processes.
Summary: Processes which split O2 will produce O3.
Keywords: oxygen ozone
Message-ID: <161@heurikon.UUCP>
Date: 8 Jan 88 23:20:33 GMT
References: <159@heurikon.UUCP>
Reply-To: lampman@heurikon.UUCP (Ray Lampman)
Followup-To: sci.misc
Organization: Heurikon Corp., Madison WI
Lines: 41

Summary
-------

Electric arcs and fields, UV radiation, and various chemical reactions will
create ozone [O3]. In general, any process which splits O2 will produce O3.

Step 1:    O2 + energy -> O + O         Step 2:    O + O2 -> O3

Lightning or an electric arc will split O2, as will UV radiation (~ 209 nm)
or an energetic laser beam. Ozone has a characteristic sharp, acrid odor.
Apple LaserWriters will produce ozone, as will high-voltage electrical
equipment. Commercial ozonators produce up to 4% O3 in air or 8% in oxygen.

Questions
---------

> pell@boulder.UUCP (Anthony Pelletier) replied in part:
> ... but it [ozone] is extremely unstable.

How unstable is ozone? Does it revert back to oxygen? Or does it decompose
by combining with other molecules? What happens to its energy? If you ran a
commercial ozone generator in the middle of a huge room, how far away from
the generator would you be able to smell the ozone? Does ozone at sea level
stand any chance of getting into the ozone layer 20 to 30 miles up?

Thank you
---------

I received information from these people, I would like to thank them:

roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
pell@boulder.UUCP (Anthony Pelletier)
lotto@wjh12.harvard.edu (Jerry Lotto)
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
jbuck@epimass.EPI.COM (Joe Buck)
jnp@calmasd.GE.COM (John Pantone)
sethg@athena.mit.edu (Seth A. Gordon)
sukenick@ccnysci (George Sukenick)
brun@husc4 (Todd Brun)

                                        - Ray (lampman@heurikon.UUCP)