Abstract
Jet fuels and jet fuel surrogate were thermally stressed to simulate the time-temperature history of aircraft fuel-handling systems. The resulting fuels and soluble and insoluble products were analysed. The results are shown to be incompatible with previous mechanisms concerning the source of deposit precursors. In general, two important dependences on oxygen have been found: 1. (1) in agreement with previous research, the amount of deposit formed decreases significantly if oxygen is removed from the fuel before thermal stressing; 2. (2) fuels that oxidize easily are likely to be more stable (as measured by deposits). New evidence is presented to support the free-radical mechanisms of oxidation and deposit formation, in contrast to proposed ionic mechanisms of oxidation. A general theory of oxidation of hydrocarbons has been incorporated to account for the observed oxygen-dependences, involving a free-radical, autoxidation, chain mechanism. It is proposed that the presence of naturally occurring antioxidant molecules plays an important role in both inhibiting the oxidation of the fuel and forming deposit precursors. Some properties (concentration, reactivity) of these antioxidant molecules and the implications of the theory are discussed.
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