The significance of reactions of low activation energies to the mechanism of combustion

Abstract

The effect of the magnitude of activation energy on reaction rates has been examined. The conclusions suggest that a valid approximation to combustion mechanisms should be obtainable from a consideration of a single rate-controlling chain-branching and a single rate-controlling chain-breaking step. This concept has been applied in turn to homogeneous auto-ignition, ignition lags, limits of inflammability, flame propagation and burning velocities, resulting in a simple co-ordinating scheme. The formulae derived imply methods of identification of the rate-controlling processes from measurable flame properties.