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A shock tube study of the thermal decompositions of acetaldehyde and ethylene oxide

Conference · · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)
OSTI ID:7200649
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana 70148 (United States)

A shock tube coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to investigate the pyrolysis of acetaldehyde (CH{sub 3}CHO) and of ethylene oxide (C{sub 2}H{sub 4}O) over the temperature and total pressure range of 1200--1800 K and 0.19--0.40 atm, respectively. CO and CH{sub 4} are major products; C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and C{sub 2}H{sub 4} occur in minor amounts. A 26 step reaction mechanism is proposed to model the concentration profiles recorded at different temperatures for acetaldehyde pyrolysis. Computer modeling indicates that isomerization of ethylene oxide to acetaldehyde occurs rapidly and the process is complete in about 50 {mu}s at 1400 K. Additional steps were added to the acetaldehyde thermal decomposition mechanism in order to model successfully the ethylene oxide data. Overall rate constants for the decomposition of C{sub 2}H{sub 4}O{r arrow}CH{sub 3}CHO; k{sub 1}=1.4E13 exp({minus}29500/T) s{sup {minus}1} and C{sub 2}H{sub 4}O{r arrow}CH{sub 3}+HCO; k{sub 2}=1.2E13 exp({minus}29500/T) s{sup {minus}1} were employed for the reaction conditions herein.

DOE Contract Number:
FG02-85ER13340
OSTI ID:
7200649
Report Number(s):
CONF-890756--
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States) Vol. 208:1; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPC
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English