Electron scattering cross sections of trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene HFO1234ze(E)

Abstract The environmentally friendly refrigerant trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene HFO1234ze(E) is a promising alternative to replace 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane R134a in particle detectors and SF 6 in high-voltage-engineering applications. A set of electron-molecule scattering cross sections for HFO1234ze(E) up to 300 keV is presented. Initial experimental information was obtained by means of electron-energy-loss spectroscopy, providing insight into the vibrational and electronic excitations in HFO1234ze(E). Additional information on the excited electronic states was obtained from vacuum-ultraviolet photoabsorption spectroscopy and from ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. The cross sections were refined based on electron-transport-coefficient measurements performed on a pulsed Townsend apparatus. The occurrence of an unspecific vibrational excitation is observed and its effect on the electron-transport coefficients is elaborated. The previously investigated positive synergy in the reduced critical electric field strength of SF 6 and HFO1234ze(E) mixtures is discussed. The resulting cross-section set is implemented in both magboltz and degrad , allowing accurate simulations for gaseous detectors and electrical insulation technologies. The cross sections are published in the open-access database LXCat.