Thermal Degradation Products of <i>α</i>-Pinene in a Tubular Furnace in the Temperature Range from 300°C to 900°C: Contribution to Wildfire Flashovers

Abstract

Induced BVOC emissions from pyrolyzed plants that may accumulate in confined topographies have been a controversy for their role in wildfire eruptions or flashovers. α-pinene (C10H16) is one of the most abundant monoterpenes emitted from pyrolyzed Mediterranean vegetation in wildfires. Its thermal degradation under fire thermal stresses produces a range of highly flammable gases. In order to identify these products, thermal degradation experiments were performed on α-pinene in a tubular furnace in an inert atmosphere and a high-temperature range (300°C - 900°C). The pyrolysis products were identified using gas chromatography (GC) linked to a tubular furnace outlet by which their retention times were compared with those of reference standards. The degradation products were mainly terpenoids, aliphatic hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene, 1,3-butadiene, isoprene), and aromatics (benzene, toluene) in addition to hydrogen. The radical mechanisms of the chemical reactions associated with the formation of the products at different experimental temperatures were addressed and compared with the literature. Monoterpenes, butadiene, isoprene, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and aromatics formations from α-pinene were consistent with the literature. However, even if benzene has been identified in our experiments, we cannot support with certainty the mechanisms of its formation described in the literature since acetylene was not observed.