Matter
Name
Tholins LATMOS 95%-N2:5%-CH4
Family
carbonaceous
Level
local matter
Origins
laboratory
Provider
LATMOS
Local reference code
N2:CH4=95%:5% tholins
Preparation
raw
Method
Tholins formation by plasma discharge in a 95%-N2:5%-CH4 gas mixture
Phase type
solid
Component type (group)
synthesized carbonaceous matter (plasma product)
Texture
pulverulent
Type of porosity
open pores
Texture
compact
Grain sizes
Grains Size min Size max Size median Size width Size mass fraction Grain shape
#1 430.0 $nm$ 70.0 $nm$ 1.0 spherical
Size method
grain size distribution of estimated by measuring the apparent diameter of tholins particles, averaged over 200 particles using SEM images
Atom $C$ $H$ $O$ $N$ H/C O/C N/C S/C
Mole fraction 0.34 0.404 0.058 0.2 1.19 0.17 0.59
Mass fraction
Comments
Co-polymeric insaturated structure rich in nitrogen. Data from Vuitton et al. 2010. Relative error typically 1%. O comes from residual $O_2$ during synthesis and oxidation/adsorption during sample collection.
Number
1
Mode of mixing
single material
Materials
  Name Arrangement Mass (g) Mass fraction Abundance comments
Tholins granular 95%-N2:5%-CH4 1.0
Title
Tholins formation by plasma discharge in a 95%-N2:5%-CH4 gas mixture

Produced matter

Matter
Tholins LATMOS 95%-N2:5%-CH4 (this matter)
Processing steps
Step Date Type Process Changes
#1 2018-03-16 pressure Pumping the heated chamber down to $1.5 10^{-6}$ mbar
#2 2018-03-16 fluid physical Injection in the PAMPRE chamber of 55 sccm of $N_2:CH_4$ gas in a 95%:5% ratio (using pure N2, N2:CH4 = 90%:10% gas bottles (Air Liquide) with impurities limits: H2O < 3 ppm, O2 < 2 ppm et CxHy < 0.5 ppm), resulting in a pressure of $0.9 \pm 0.1$ mbar
#3 2018-03-16 irradiation irradiation using a RF CCP Plasma at 13.56 MHz and 30 W injected power of the $N_2$:$CH_4$=95%:5% gas mixture at ambient temperature and 0.9 mbar formation of tholins grains
#4 2018-03-20 no Collecting tholins grains from the reactor (and thus exposing them to ambient air) No changes observed macroscopically