Chemisorption mechanism in reactive systems at low temperatures

The kinetics of irreversible chemisorption of O and N on gas-free metal surfaces is described by a transport model that takes into account the fact that more gas than the equivalent of one monolayer is absorbed in most reactive systems. The model used is based on the assumption that in the steep gradient of the chemical potential existing in the surface near region of reactive systems gas atoms are able to penetrate the surface by thermally non activated processes. The predictions of this model agree with presently available experimental results. (orig.)