Water Calorimetry: A Correction to the Heat Defect Calculations

In a recent publication, we used a reaction model (model III) to calculate the heat defect for the irradiation of aqueous solutions with ionizing radiation at 21 °C. Subsequent work has revealed that the literature value used for one of the rate constants in the model was incorrect. A revised model (model IIIR) incorporates the correct rate constant for 21 °C. Versions of models III and IIIR were created for irradiations at 4 °C. For our current water calorimetry protocol, the values of the heat defect for H₂/O₂-water (water saturated with a flow of 43 % H₂ and 57 % O₂, by volume) at 21 °C predicted by model III and model IIIR are similar but the value for 4 °C predicted by III is 30 % smaller than the value predicted by IIIR. Model IIIR predicts that the values of the heat defect at 21 °C and 4 °C lie within the range −0.023±0.002, in agreement with the values obtained from our water calorimetry measurements done using pure water and H₂-saturated water at 21 °C and 4 °C. The yields of hydrogen peroxide in H₂/O₂-water at 21 °C and 4 °C were measured and agree with the predictions of model IIIR. Our water calorimetry measurements made with pure water and H₂-saturated water are now of sufficient quality that they can be used to determine the heat defect for H₂/O₂-water better than can be done by simulations. However, consistency between the three systems continues to be an excellent check on water purity which is crucial, especially for the pure water system.