Phenomenological study of heterogeneous chemical reactions of mercuric chloride on heated stainless steel surfaces

We have made the first measurements of the products of surface chemical reactions of mercuric chloride on heated stainless steel using the technique of electron-energy-loss spectroscopy as an analytic tool. We find that HgCl2 reacts with hydrogen in the stainless steel to form hydrochloric acid HCl. Under our experimental conditions HCl becomes the cominant species observed in our spectra at surface temperatures greater than about 150 0C. The possible consequences of our observation on the efficiency of mercuric halide lasers is discussed