Composition estimation from combustion products

Combustible The net heat of combustion and the calorific value help to estimate the potential energy which can be recovered from burning used solvents. In addition, the composition of the combustion products is considered to evaluate potential corrosiveness and the effect on the environment. 

Results of an experimental program in which aluminum particles were burned with steam and mixtures of oxygen and argon in small-scale atmospheric dump combustor are presented. Measurements of combustion temperature, radiation intensity in the wavelength interval from 400 to 800 nm, and combustion products particle size distribution and composition were made. A combustion temperature of about 2900 K was measured for combustion of aluminum particles with a mixture of 20%(wt.) O2 and 80%(wt.) Ar, while a combustion temperature of about 2500 K was measured for combustion of aluminum particles with steam. Combustion efficiency for aluminum particles with a mean size of 17 yum burned in steam with O/F) / 0/F)st 1-10 and with residence time after ignition estimated at 22 ms was about 95%. A Monte Carlo numerical method was used to estimate the radiant heat loss rates from the combustion products, based on the measured radiation intensities and combustion temperatures. A peak heat loss rate of 9.5 W/cm was calculated for the 02/Ar oxidizer case, while a peak heat loss rate of 4.8 W/cm was calculated for the H2O oxidizer case. 

From a practical point of view, it is important to know the composition of combustion products, i.e., the chemical equation that describes the transformation of the explosive into its final products. This in turn enables the calculation of the thermochemical parameters of the combustion process and the estimation of some other parameters that can be related to the explosive strength. 

Table 7.1 summarizes the quantitative estimates of biomass burning in the tropics. We estimate that a total of 2700-6800 Tg of C are annually exposed to fires, of which 1800-4700 Tg of C are biuned. The average chemical composition of dry plant biomass corresponds closely to the formula CH2O. The nutrient element content varies with seasonal growth conditions on a mass basis it is relatively low about 0.3-3.8 % N, 0.1-B.9 % S, 0.01-0.3 % P, and 0.5-3.4 % K [25]. Consequently, although the emissions from biomass combustion are dominated by CO2, many products of incomplete combustion that play important roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate are emitted as well, for example, CO, H2, CH4, other hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and organic acids, and compounds... 

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