Catalytic recombination of nitrogen and oxygen on iron-cobalt-chromia spinel

The energy-transfer catalytic recombination coefficient for nitrogen and oxygen recombination on iron-cobalt-chromia spinel is inferred from stagnation-point heat flux measurements in dissociated arc-jet flow. This material was coated on several Space Shuttle Orbiter thermal protection tiles. The resulting coefficients are correlated with an Arrhenius model for convenience, and these expressions may be used to account for catalytic recombination in predictions of the heat flux on the spinel-coated tiles flown on several Space Shuttle Orbiter flights. The results are compared with those inferred by Rakich, Stewart, and Lanfranco from an Orbiter flight and arc-jet experiments. Good agreement is obtained for oxygen recombination, but agreement for nitrogen is poor.