Velocity of propagation in reaction–diffusion fronts of the chlorite–tetrathionate reaction

Abstract

The effect of the initial concentration of reactants on the velocity of chemical fronts in the acid-catalysed chlorite oxidation of tetrathionate was investigated both numerically and experimentally. Based on a simple two-variable model an expression for front velocity as a function of concentration and diffusion coefficient of reactants was developed which can quantitatively describe the observed velocity dependence in slight chlorite excess.