Mechanoluminescence of Ce/Tb inorganic salts in methane-acetylene mixtures with inert gases.

The mechanoluminescence of cerium (Ce) and terbium (Tb) lanthanide salts is studied in hydrocarbon [methane (CH4 ) and acetylene (C2 H2 )] and inert [helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe)] gaseous mixtures. The lines of *N2 , *Ln3+ , inert gases, *CH, and *C2 radicals resulted from the mechanochemical decomposition of CH4 and C2 H2 are observed in the emission spectrum. The luminescence intensity of the inert gases decreases with the hydrocarbon gas concentration in the mixture. The intensities of the *CH or *C2 bands remains almost unchanged within 15-100 vol% of CH4 or C2 H2 in the mixture. When the concentration of CH4 or C2 H2 is lower than 15%, the intensities of the CH or C2 bands increase achieving their maxima at 0.5-3% of the hydrocarbon. This is probably due to the optimal compositions of the mixtures with the most efficient generation of electrical discharges responsible for mechanoluminescence.