Effect of CO2 dilution on propane–air isothermal catalytic combustion on platinum

Abstract

The present work aims to investigate several kinetic aspects of catalytic combustion of the stoichiometric propane–air mixture on a platinum wire in the presence of progressive CO2 dilution, using a micro-calorimetric method. The method allowed the determination of the induction periods and of the reaction rates during transient and steady-state regimes at different initial pressures P 0 (10–101 kPa), wire temperatures T w (470–575 K) and gas-phase composition. The kinetic parameters were evaluated from regression analysis using empirical and mechanistic models. The dilution with CO2 of the stoichiometric propane–air mixture (4.02% propane) was 10, 20, 30, 40, 50%. For additions equal to or greater than 23%, the gaseous system is outside the flammability limits reported in the literature. The kinetic characteristics of the catalytic combustion remain similar for the whole range, even for 50% CO2 addition when the propane concentration in mixture diminishes to 2%, a concentration smaller than the lower explosion limit in air in normal conditions.