Time scales spontaneous ignition

Spontaneous ignition and associated features of organic gases and vapours are a consequence of the exothermic oxidation chemistry discussed in Chapter 1, but the way in which events unfold is determined by the physical environment within which reaction takes place. The heat transfer characteristics are probably most important, as may be illustrated with respect to the different consequences of adiabatic and non-adiabatic operation in a CSTR (Section 5) [117]. The notion of adiabatic operation may seem remote from any practical application, but this idealized condition may be approached if the chemical time-scale is considerably shorter than the time-scale for heat losses. 

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