Rate of reaction between molecular hydrogen and molecular oxygen

The shock tube data of Jachimowski and Houghton were rigorously analyzed to obtain rate constants for the candidate initiation reactions H2 + O2 yields H + HO2, H2 + O2 yields H2O + O, and H2 + O2 yields OH + OH. Reaction (01) is probably not the initiation process because the activation energy obtained is less than the endothermicity and because the derived rates greatly exceed values inferred in the literature from the reverse of reaction (01). Reactions (02) and (03) remain as possibilities, with reaction (02) slightly favored on the basis of steric and statistical considerations. The solution of the differential equations is presented in detail to show how the kinetics of other ignition systems may be solved.