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Initiation of the homogeneous n ‐butane oxidation
Author(s) -
Skrivan J. F.,
Hoelscher H. E.
Publication year - 1959
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690050319
Subject(s) - butane , decomposition , chemistry , yield (engineering) , homogeneous , butene , thermodynamics , reaction mechanism , oxygen , mechanism (biology) , photochemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , ethylene , physics , quantum mechanics
Initiation of the oxidation of hydrocarbons, an important part of many flame systems' remains largely unsolved. This paper reports a study of the oxidation of butane under conditions that yield information on the homogeneous initiation reactions. A sequential reaction mechanism is proposed involving activation of an oxygen molecule followed by attack on a butane. This leads to rate equations which accurately describe the observed butane decomposition rates. Activation energies have been calculated from experimental data with this equation and are found to check values obtained from the literature and from theoretical considerations. The tentative initiation mechanism is used to explain the existence of three classes of products in the exit gases: hydrocarbons other than butene, butene, and oxygenated products. Under some operating conditions periodic cool flame phenomena are observed, and their effect on the course of the reaction has been explained.