The rate of reaction between sodium and sulfur hexafluoride has been studied as a function of the vibrational energy and total thermal energy of the SF6 in the temperature range 380–440 °K. Vibrational energy was increased by absorption of radiation from a pulsed CO2 laser, and total energy was increased by heating the reaction system. The reaction rate was determined as a function of energy in the time period after the laser pulse when the vibrational energy was equilibrated within the vibrational modes but there was no appreciable relaxation to translational energy. It has been determined that the reaction rate increases with the addition of vibrational energy but is essentially unaffected by additional translational energy. The results are in accordance with a statistical reaction rate theory which suggests that additional translational energy has no further effect in promoting a very exothermic polyatomic reaction.

The rate of reaction between potassium and IR-laser-excited sulfur hexafluoride has been studied as a function of vibrational energy absorbed from a pulsed C02 laser and total thermal energy in the range 340-390 K. In this range the rate increases with vibrational energy but is not dependent on added translational energy. This result is in agreement with an earlier temperature-dependent molecular beam study and is also consistent with our previous study of the reaction between sodium and sulfur hexafluoride.

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