Steps Required to Produce Nitric Oxide from Alumina Aerogel

    1) Hydrogenation of gamma alumina aerogel. Done by cool damp air.

    2) Dehydrogenation of the same. Done by 400 degree C heat.

        The dehydrogenation produces hyperactive * strained oxygen bridges *.

    3) Reacting the oxygen on the strained oxygen bridges with air i.e.

         with the oxygen of air to form nitric oxide on the bridge

           It is presumed that this may be done with heated air. ( As heated

          air is flowing into the reaction bed of alumina, the air stream is

          first cooled somewhat by the bed before it can heat the bed. As the

          hot stream continues to flow through the bed the bed gets hotter.

          Before the bed reaches a high temperature, the nitrogen in the air

          is reacting with the strained oxygen bridges to form the nitric

          oxide species on the aerogel chain, but when the bed finally reaches

          a high temperature, the nitric oxide is released from the aerogel

          and enters the air stream. )

    4) Absorbing the nitric oxide from the air stream.

        Special footnote: It would seem that steps 2) and 3) can be

                              consolidated into one step by flowing a single stream

                              of very hot air. i.e. the hot air first dehydrates

                              and forms --O-- bridges Then as the air flows, these

                              bridges react with nitrogen and as the bed gets hotter

                              the nitric oxide is released into the air stream.

                              Thereby the reactor requires only two streams of air

                               each stream alternating with the other. The first

                               stream is of cool, very damp air and the second is of

                               high temperature air above 400 C.