Combustion Reactions

Combustion reactions always involve molecular oxygen O2. Anytime anything burns
(in the usual sense), it is a combustion reaction. Combustion reactions are almost
always exothermic (i.e., they give off heat). For example when wood burns, it must do
so in the presence of O2 and a lot of heat is produced:

Wood as well as many common items that combust are organic (i.e., they are made up
of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen). When organic molecules combust the reaction
products are carbon dioxide and water (as well as heat).

For example consider the combustion of methanol (rubbing alcohol):

Of course, not all combustion reactions release CO2 and water, e.g., the combustion
of magnesium metal:

Combustion
"Burning" redirects here. For combustion without external ignition, see spontaneous
combustion. For the vehicle engine, see internal combustion engine. For other uses,
see Burning (disambiguation) and Combustion (disambiguation).

Combustion (

/kmbs.tn/) or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical

reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and

conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can produce light in the form of
either glowing or a flame. Fuels of interest often include organic compounds
(especially hydrocarbons) in the gas, liquid orsolid phase.
In a complete combustion reaction, a compound reacts with an oxidizing element, such
asoxygen or fluorine, and the products are compounds of each element in the fuel with the
oxidizing element. For example:
CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 + 2 H2O + energy
A simple example can be seen in the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen, which is a
commonly used reaction in rocket engines:
2 H2 + O2 2 H2O(g) + heat
The result is water vapor.
Complete combustion is almost impossible to achieve. In reality, as actual
combustion reactions come to equilibrium, a wide variety of major and minor
species will be present such ascarbon monoxide and pure carbon (soot or ash).
Additionally, any combustion in atmosphericair, which is 78 percent nitrogen, will
also create several forms of nitrogen oxides.

Types
[edit]Complete

vs. incomplete

See also: pyrolysis

In complete combustion, the reactant burns in oxygen, producing a limited number of products.
When a hydrocarbon burns in oxygen, the reaction will only yield carbon dioxide and water.
When elements are burned, the products are primarily the most common oxides. Carbon will
yield carbon dioxide, nitrogen will yield nitrogen dioxide, sulfur will yield sulfur dioxide, and iron
will yield iron(III) oxide.
Combustion is not necessarily favorable to the maximum degree of oxidation and it can be
temperature-dependent. For example, sulfur trioxide is not produced quantitatively in
combustion of sulfur. Nitrogen oxides start to form above 2,800 F (1,540 C) and more nitrogen
oxides are produced at higher temperatures. Below this temperature, molecular nitrogen (N2) is
favored. It is also a function of oxygen excess.[1]

In most industrial applications and in fires, air is the source of oxygen (O2). In air, each mole of
oxygen is mixed with approximately 3.76 mole of nitrogen. Nitrogen does not take part in
combustion, but at high temperatures, some nitrogen will be converted to NOx, usually between
1% and 0.002% (2 ppm).[2] Furthermore, when there is any incomplete combustion, some of
carbon is converted tocarbon monoxide. A more complete set of equations for combustion of
methane in air is therefore:
CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 + 2 H2O
2 CH4 + 3 O2 2 CO + 4 H2O
N2 + O2 2 NO
N2 + 2 O2 2 NO2
[edit]Incomplete
Incomplete combustion will only occur when there is not enough oxygen to allow
the fuel to react completely to produce carbon dioxide and water. It also
happens when the combustion is quenched by a heat sink such as a solid
surface or flame trap.
For most fuels, such as diesel oil, coal or wood, pyrolysis occurs before
combustion. In incomplete combustion, products of pyrolysis remain unburnt
and contaminate the smoke with noxious particulate matter and gases. Partially
oxidized compounds are also a concern; partial oxidation of ethanol can
produce harmful acetaldehyde, and carbon can produce toxic carbon monoxide.
The quality of combustion can be improved by design of combustion devices,
such as burners and internal combustion engines. Further improvements are
achievable by catalytic after-burning devices (such as catalytic converters) or by
the simple partial return of theexhaust gases into the combustion process. Such
devices are required by environmental legislation for cars in most countries, and
may be necessary in large combustion devices, such as thermal power stations,
to reach legal emission standards.
The degree of combustion can be measured and analyzed, with test
equipment. HVAC contractors, firemen and engineers use combustion analyzers
to test the efficiency of a burner during the combustion process. In addition, the

efficiency of an internal combustion engine can be measured in this way, and

some states and local municipalities are using combustion analysis to define
and rate the efficiency of vehicles on the road today.
[edit]Smoldering
Smoldering is the slow, low-temperature, flameless form of combustion,
sustained by the heat evolved when oxygen directly attacks the surface of a
condensed-phase fuel. It is a typically incomplete combustion reaction. Solid
materials that can sustain a smoldering reaction include coal, cellulose, wood,
cotton, tobacco, peat, duff, humus, synthetic foams, charring polymers including
polyurethane foam, and dust. Common examples of smoldering phenomena are
the initiation of residential fires on upholstered furniture by weak heat sources
(e.g., a cigarette, a short-circuited wire), and the persistent combustion of
biomass behind the flaming front of wildfires
[edit]Rapid

Rapid combustion is a form of combustion, otherwise known as a fire, in which

large amounts of heat and light energy are released, which often results in
a flame. This is used in a form of machinery such as internal combustion
engines and in thermobaric weapons. Sometimes, a large volume of gas is
liberated in combustion besides the production of heat and light. The sudden
evolution of large quantities of gas creates excessive pressure that produces a
loud noise. Such a combustion is known as an explosion. Combustion need not
involve oxygen; e.g., hydrogen burns in chlorine to form hydrogen chloride with
the liberation of heat and light characteristic of combustion.
[edit]Turbulent
Combustion resulting in a turbulent flame is the most used for industrial
application (e.g. gas turbines, gasoline engines, etc.) because the turbulence
helps the mixing process between the fuel and oxidizer.
[edit]Microgravity

Combustion processes behave differently in a microgravity environment than in

Earth-gravity conditions due to the lack of buoyancy. For example, a candle's
flame takes the shape of a sphere.[3] Microgravity combustion research
contributes to understanding of spacecraft fire safety and diverse aspects of
combustion physics.
[edit]Micro-combustion
Combustion processes which happen in very small volumes are
considered micro-combustion. The high surface-to-volume ratio increases
specific heat loss. Quenchingdistance plays a vital role in stabilizing the flame in
such combustion chambers.
[edit]Chemical

equation

Generally, the chemical equation for stoichiometric burning of hydrocarbon in

oxygen is

For example, the burning of propane is

Generally, the chemical equation for stoichiometric incomplete

combustion of hydrocarbon in oxygen is as follows:

For example, the incomplete combustion of propane is:

The simple word equation for the combustion of a hydrocarbon

in oxygen is:

If the combustion takes place using air as the oxygen source, the nitrogen can be added to the
equation,as and although it does not react, to show the composition of the flue gas:

For example, the burning of propane is:

The simple word equation for this type of combustion is hydrocarbon in air:

Nitrogen may also oxidize when there is an excess of oxygen. The reaction is
thermodynamically favored only at high temperatures.Diesel engines are run with an
excess of oxygen to combust small particles that tend to form with only a
stoichiometric amount of oxygen, necessarily producing nitrogen oxide emissions.
Both the United States and European Union have limits to nitrogen oxide emissions,
which necessitate the use of a special catalytic converter or treatment of the
exhaust with urea (see Diesel exhaust fluid).