PROGRESS IN DETAILED KINETIC MODELING OF THE COMBUSTION OF OXYGENATED COMPONENTS OF BIOFUELS

Detailed Reaction Kinetics for Hydrocarbon Fuels: The Development and Application of the ReaxFFCHO-S22 Force Field for C/H/O Systems with Enhanced Accuracy

Efficient and accurate reactive force fields (e.g., ReaxFF) are pivotal for large-scale atomistic simulations to comprehend microscopic combustion processes. ReaxFF has been extensively utilized to describe chemical reactions in condensed phases, but most existing ReaxFF models rely on quantum mechanical (QM) data nearly two decades old, particularly in hydrocarbon systems, constraining their accuracy and applicability. Addressing this gap, we introduce a reparametrized ReaxFFCHO-S22 for C/H/O systems, tailored for studying the pyrolysis and combustion of hydrocarbon fuel. Our approach involves high-level QM benchmarks and large database construction for C/H/O systems, global ReaxFF parameter optimization, and molecular dynamics simulations of typical hydrocarbon fuels. Density functional theory (DFT) computations utilized the M06-2X functional at the meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) level with a large basis set (6-311++G**). Our new ReaxFFCHO-S22 model exhibits a minimum 10% enhancement in accuracy compared to the previous ReaxFF models for a large variety of hydrocarbon molecules. This advanced ReaxFFCHO-S22 not only enables efficient large-scale studies on the microscopic chemical reactions of more complex hydrocarbon fuel but also can extend to biofuels, energetic materials, polymers, and other pertinent systems, thus serving as a valuable tool for studying chemical reaction dynamics of the large-scale hydrocarbon condensed phase at an atomistic level.

Combustion, Chemistry, and Carbon Neutrality

Combustion is a reactive oxidation process that releases energy bound in chemical compounds used as fuels─energy that is needed for power generation, transportation, heating, and industrial purposes. Because of greenhouse gas and local pollutant emissions associated with fossil fuels, combustion science and applications are challenged to abandon conventional pathways and to adapt toward the demand of future carbon neutrality. For the design of efficient, low-emission processes, understanding the details of the relevant chemical transformations is essential. Comprehensive knowledge gained from decades of fossil-fuel combustion research includes general principles for establishing and validating reaction mechanisms and process models, relying on both theory and experiments with a suite of analytic monitoring and sensing techniques. Such knowledge can be advantageously applied and extended to configure, analyze, and control new systems using different, nonfossil, potentially zero-carbon fuels. Understanding the impact of combustion and its links with chemistry needs some background. The introduction therefore combines information on exemplary cultural and technological achievements using combustion and on nature and effects of combustion emissions. Subsequently, the methodology of combustion chemistry research is described. A major part is devoted to fuels, followed by a discussion of selected combustion applications, illustrating the chemical information needed for the future.

Theoretical studies on the reaction kinetics of methyl 2-furoate with hydroxyl radical

Methyl 2-furoate (FAME2) is a model for the potential renewable biofuel of dimethyl furan-2,5-dicarboxylate, with the development of its new synthesis method. The potential energy surfaces of H-abstractions and OH-additions between FAME2 and hydroxyl radical (OH) were studied using CCSD(T)/CBS//M062X/cc-pVTZ. The subsequent isomerization and decomposition reactions were also determined for the primary radicals produced. The results showed that H-abstraction on the branched methyl group was the dominant channel and that the OH-addition reactions on the furan ring had a significant pressure dependency. The rate coefficients presented here provide important kinetic data to support future improvement of the combustion mechanism of FAME2, and present a sound basis for further research into practical fuels.

Theoretical and experimental study on the O(3P) + 2,5-dimethylfuran reaction in the gas phase

In this work we report a joint experimental and computational study on the 2,5-dimethylfuran oxidation reaction in the gas phase initiated by atomic oxygen O(3P). The experiments have been performed by using vacuum-ultraviolet synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), at a temperature of 550 K and a pressure of 8 Torr. The experimental data were supported by quantum-chemical calculations along with a kinetic model, also taking into account the possible involvement of different magnetic states, performed in the framework of the RRKM theory. Propyne, acetaldehyde, methylglyoxal, dimethylglyoxal, 3-penten-2-one, 2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one, and 1,2-diacetyl ethylene have been identified as the main primary products arising under the conditions of the experiment. Our computational model suggests that these species can be formed at the concentration and branching ratio experimentally observed only in the presence of a non-negligible fraction of non-thermalized intermediates.

Combustion in the future: The importance of chemistry

Combustion involves chemical reactions that are often highly exothermic. Combustion systems utilize the energy of chemical compounds released during this reactive process for transportation, to generate electric power, or to provide heat for various applications. Chemistry and combustion are interlinked in several ways. The outcome of a combustion process in terms of its energy and material balance, regarding the delivery of useful work as well as the generation of harmful emissions, depends sensitively on the molecular nature of the respective fuel. The design of efficient, low-emission combustion processes in compliance with air quality and climate goals suggests a closer inspection of the molecular properties and reactions of conventional, bio-derived, and synthetic fuels. Information about flammability, reaction intensity, and potentially hazardous combustion by-products is important also for safety considerations. Moreover, some of the compounds that serve as fuels can assume important roles in chemical energy storage and conversion. Combustion processes can furthermore be used to synthesize materials with attractive properties. A systematic understanding of the combustion behavior thus demands chemical knowledge. Desirable information includes properties of the thermodynamic states before and after the combustion reactions and relevant details about the dynamic processes that occur during the reactive transformations from the fuel and oxidizer to the products under the given boundary conditions. Combustion systems can be described, tailored, and improved by taking chemical knowledge into account. Combining theory, experiment, model development, simulation, and a systematic analysis of uncertainties enables qualitative or even quantitative predictions for many combustion situations of practical relevance. This article can highlight only a few of the numerous investigations on chemical processes for combustion and combustion-related science and applications, with a main focus on gas-phase reaction systems. It attempts to provide a snapshot of recent progress and a guide to exciting opportunities that drive such research beyond fossil combustion.

Ab initio kinetics predictions for the role of pre-reaction complexes in hydrogen abstraction from 2-butanone by OH radicals

The existence of pre- and post-reaction complexes has been proposed to influence hydrogen abstraction reaction kinetics, but the significance still remains controversial. A theoretical study is presented to discuss the effects of complexes on hydrogen abstraction from 2-butanone by OH radicals based on the detailed PESs at the DLPNO-CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//M06-2x-D3/may-cc-pVTZ level with five pre-reaction complexes at the entrance of the channels and four post-reaction complexes at the exit. The hydrogen bond interactions, steric effects, and contributions to the bonding orbital of the OH radical species and 2-butanone species in the complex structures were visualized and investigated by wavefunction analyses. Three kinds of mechanisms-the general bimolecular reaction, the reaction with the complexes considered, and the well-skipping reaction-were compared based on high-pressure-limit rate constants, predicted branching ratios, and fractional populations of reactants and products in the temperature range of 250-2000 K. The existence of complexes was proved to be crucial in the kinetics and mechanisms of the hydrogen abstraction from 2-butanone molecules by OH radicals.

A new era for combustion research

Current topics in combustion chemistry include aspects of a changing fuel spectrum with a focus on reducing emissions and increasing efficiency. This article is intended to provide an overview of selected recent work in combustion chemistry, especially addressing reaction pathways from fuel decomposition to emissions. The role of the molecular fuel structure will be emphasized for the formation of certain regulated and unregulated species from individual fuels and their mixtures, exemplarily including fuel compounds such as alkanes, alkenes, ethers, alcohols, ketones, esters, and furan derivatives. Depending on the combustion conditions, different temperature regimes are important and can lead to different reaction classes. Laboratory reactors and flames are prime sources and targets from which such detailed chemical information can be obtained and verified with a number of advanced diagnostic techniques, often supported by theoretical work and simulation with combustion models developed to transfer relevant details of chemical mechanisms into practical applications. Regarding the need for cleaner combustion processes, some related background and perspectives will be provided regarding the context for future chemistry research in combustion energy science.

Improved methane removal in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process using immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria

Methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process, which is a greenhouse gas, could cause global warming. The biofilter with immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) is a promising approach for methane removal, and the selections of inoculated MOB culture and support material are vital for the biofilter. In this work, five MOB consortia were enriched at different methane concentrations. The MOB-20 consortium enriched at the methane concentration of 20.0% (v/v) was then immobilized on sponge and two particle sizes of volcanic rock in biofilters to remove methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process. Results showed that the immobilized MOB performed more admirable methane removal capacity than suspended cells. The immobilized MOB on sponge reached the highest methane removal efficiency (RE) of 35%. The rough surface, preferable hydroscopicity, appropriate pore size and particle size of support material might favor the MOB immobilization and accordingly methane removal.

Furan Fragmentation in the Gas Phase: New Insights from Statistical and Molecular Dynamics Calculations

We present a complete exploration of the different fragmentation mechanisms of furan (C₄H₄O) operating at low and high energies. Three different theoretical approaches are combined to determine the structure of all possible reaction intermediates, many of them not described in previous studies, and a large number of pathways involving three types of fundamental elementary mechanisms: isomerization, fragmentation, and H/H₂ loss processes (this last one was not yet explored). Our results are compared with the existing experimental and theoretical investigations for furan fragmentation. At low energies the first processes to appear are isomerization, which always implies the breaking of one C-O bond and one or several hydrogen transfers; at intermediate energies the fragmentation of the molecular skeleton becomes the most relevant mechanism; and H/H₂ loss is the dominant processes at high energy. However, the three mechanisms are active in very wide energy ranges and, therefore, at most energies there is a competition among them.

Kinetics in the real world: linking molecules, processes, and systems

Unravelling elementary steps, reaction pathways, and kinetic mechanisms is key to understanding the behaviour of many real-world chemical systems that span from the troposphere or even interstellar media to engines and process reactors. Recent work in chemical kinetics provides detailed information on the reactive changes occurring in chemical systems, often on the atomic or molecular scale. The optimisation of practical processes, for instance in combustion, catalysis, battery technology, polymerisation, and nanoparticle production, can profit from a sound knowledge of the underlying fundamental chemical kinetics. Reaction mechanisms can combine information gained from theory and experiments to enable the predictive simulation and optimisation of the crucial process variables and influences on the system's behaviour that may be exploited for both monitoring and control. Chemical kinetics, as one of the pillars of Physical Chemistry, thus contributes importantly to understanding and describing natural environments and technical processes and is becoming increasingly relevant for interactions in and with the real world.

High temperature pyrolysis of 2-methyl furan

Experiments and theory reveal the complex dissociation of 2-methylfuran and the surprising importance of H-atom loss.

Thermochemistry of gas-phase and surface species via LASSO-assisted subgraph selection

Graph theory-based regression techniques, such as group additivity, have widely been implemented for fast estimation of thermochemistry of large molecules.

Isomer Identification in Flames with Double-Imaging Photoelectron/Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy (i2PEPICO) using Measured and Calculated Reference Photoelectron Spectra

Double-imaging photoelectron/photoion coincidence (i2PEPICO) spectroscopy using a multiplexing, time-efficient, fixed-photon-energy approach offers important opportunities of gas-phase analysis. Building on successful applications in combustion systems that have demonstrated the discriminative power of this technique, we attempt here to push the limits of its application further to more chemically complex combustion examples. The present investigation is devoted to identifying and potentially quantifying compounds featuring five heavy atoms in laminar, premixed low-pressure flames of hydrocarbon and oxygenated fuels and their mixtures. In these combustion examples from flames of cyclopentene, iso-pentane, iso-pentane blended with dimethyl ether (DME), and diethyl ether (DEE), we focus on the unambiguous assignment and quantitative detection of species with the sum formulae C5H6, C5H7, C5H8, C5H10, and C4H8O in the respective isomer mixtures, attempting to provide answers to specific chemical questions for each of these examples. To analyze the obtained i2PEPICO results from these combustion situations, photoelectron spectra (PES) from pure reference compounds, including several examples previously unavailable in the literature, were recorded with the same experimental setup as used in the flame measurements. In addition, PES of two species where reference spectra have not been obtained, namely 2-methyl-1-butene (C5H10) and the 2-cyclopentenyl radical (C5H7), were calculated on the basis of high-level ab initio calculations and Franck-Condon (FC) simulations. These reference measurements and quantum chemical calculations support the early fuel decomposition scheme in the cyclopentene flame towards 2-cyclopentenyl as the dominant fuel radical as well as the prevalence of branched intermediates in the early fuel destruction reactions in the iso-pentane flame, with only minor influences from DME addition. Furthermore, the presence of ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) in DEE flames that was predicted by a recent DEE combustion mechanism could be confirmed unambiguously. While combustion measurements using i2PEPICO can be readily obtained in isomer-rich situations, we wish to highlight the crucial need for high-quality reference information to assign and evaluate the obtained spectra.

Thermodynamic DFT analysis of natural gas

Density functional theory was performed for thermodynamic predictions on natural gas, whose B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31+G(d), CBS-QB3, G3, and G4 methods were applied. Additionally, we carried out thermodynamic predictions using G3/G4 averaged. The calculations were performed for each major component of seven kinds of natural gas and to their respective air + natural gas mixtures at a thermal equilibrium between room temperature and the initial temperature of a combustion chamber during the injection stage. The following thermodynamic properties were obtained: internal energy, enthalpy, Gibbs free energy and entropy, which enabled us to investigate the thermal resistance of fuels. Also, we estimated an important parameter, namely, the specific heat ratio of each natural gas; this allowed us to compare the results with the empirical functions of these parameters, where the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and G3/G4 methods showed better agreements. In addition, relevant information on the thermal and mechanic resistance of natural gases were investigated, as well as the standard thermodynamic properties for the combustion of natural gas. Thus, we show that density functional theory can be useful for predicting the thermodynamic properties of natural gas, enabling the production of more efficient compositions for the investigated fuels. Graphical abstract Investigation of the thermodynamic properties of natural gas through the canonical ensemble model and the density functional theory.

Reactions of Three Lactones with Cl, OD, and O3: Atmospheric Impact and Trends in Furan Reactivity

Lactones, cyclic esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids, are interesting biofuel candidates as they can be made from cellulosic biomass and have favorable physical and chemical properties for distribution and use. The reactions of γ-valerolactone (GVL), γ-crotonolactone (2(5H)-F), and α-methyl-γ-crotonolactone (3M-2(5H)-F) with Cl, OD, and O₃ were investigated in a static chamber at 700 Torr and 298 ± 2 K. The relative rate method was used to determine k_GVL+Cl = (4.56 ± 0.51) × 10^-11, k_GVL+OD = (2.94 ± 0.41) × 10^-11, k_2(5H)-F+Cl = (2.94 ± 0.41) × 10^-11, k_2(5H)-F+OD = (4.06 ± 0.073) × 10^-12, k_{3M-2(5H)-F+Cl} = (16.1 ± 1.8) × 10^-11, and k_{3M-2(5H)-F+OD} = (12.6 ± 0.52) × 10^-12, all rate coefficients in units of cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1. An absolute rate method was used to determine k_2(5H)-F+O3 = (6.73 ± 0.18) × 10^-20 and k_{3M-2(5H)-F+O3} = (5.42 ± 1.23) × 10^-19 in units of cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1. Products were identified for reactions of the lactones with Cl. In the presence of O₂ the products are formic acid (HCOOH), formyl chloride (CHClO), and phosgene (CCl₂O), and also maleic anhydride (C₂H₂(CO)₂O) for 2(5H)-F. In addition both reactions produced a number of unidentified products that likely belong to molecules with the ring-structure intact. A review of literature data for reactions of other furans show that the reactivity of the lactones are generally lower compared to that of corresponding compounds without the carbonyl group.

First-Principles Chemical Kinetic Modeling of Methyl trans-3-Hexenoate Epoxidation by HO2

The design of innovative combustion processes relies on a comprehensive understanding of biodiesel oxidation kinetics. The present study aims at unraveling the reaction mechanism involved in the epoxidation of a realistic biodiesel surrogate, methyl trans-3-hexenoate, by hydroperoxy radicals using a bottom-up theoretical kinetics methodology. The obtained rate constants are in good agreement with experimental data for alkene epoxidation by HO₂. The impact of temperature and pressure on epoxidation pathways involving H-bonded and non-H-bonded conformers was assessed. The obtained rate constant was finally implemented into a state-of-the-art detailed combustion mechanism, resulting in fairly good agreement with engine experiments.

Atmospheric Chemistry of Tetrahydrofuran, 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran, and 2,5-Dimethyltetrahydrofuran: Kinetics of Reactions with Chlorine Atoms, OD Radicals, and Ozone

FTIR smog chamber techniques were used to study the kinetics of the gas-phase reactions of Cl atoms, OD radicals, and O3 with the five-membered ring-structured compounds tetrahydrofuran (C4H8O, THF), 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (CH3C4H7O, 2-MTHF), 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran ((CH3)2C4H5O, 2,5-DMTHF), and furan (C4H4O). The rate coefficients determined using relative rate methods were kTHF+Cl = (1.96 ± 0.24) × 10(-10), kTHF+OD = (1.81 ± 0.27) × 10(-11), kTHF+O3 = (6.41 ± 2.90) × 10(-21), k2-MTHF+Cl = (2.65 ± 0.43) × 10(-10), k2-MTHF+OD = (2.41 ± 0.51) × 10(-11), k2-MTHF+O3 = (1.87 ± 0.82) × 10(-20), k2,5-DMTHF+OD = (4.56 ± 0.68) × 10(-11), k2,5-DMTHF+Cl = (2.84 ± 0.34) × 10(-10), k2,5-DMTHF+O3 = (4.58 ± 2.18), kfuran+Cl = (2.39 ± 0.27) × 10(-10), and kfuran+O3 = (2.60 ± 0.31) × 10(-18) molecules cm(-3) s(-1). Rate coefficients of the reactions with ozone were also determined using the absolute rate method under pseudo-first-order conditions. OD radicals, in place of OH radicals, were produced from CD3ONO to avoid spectral overlap of isopropyl and methyl nitrite with the reactants. The kinetics of OD radical reactions are expected to resemble the kinetics of OH radical reactions, and the rate coefficients of the reactions with OD radicals were used to calculate the atmospheric lifetimes with respect to reactions with OH radicals. The lifetimes of THF, 2-MTHF, and 2,5-DMTHF are approximately 15, 12, and 6 h, respectively.

Infrared and Electronic Spectroscopy of the Jet-Cooled 5-Methyl-2-furanylmethyl Radical Derived from the Biofuel 2,5-Dimethylfuran

The electronic and infrared spectra of the 5-methyl-2-furanylmethyl (MFM) radical have been characterized under jet-cooled conditions in the gas phase. This resonance-stabilized radical is formed by H atom loss from one of the methyl groups of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a promising second-generation biofuel. As a resonance-stabilized radical, it plays an important role in the flame chemistry of DMF. The D0-D1 transition was studied using two-color resonant two-photon ionization (2C-R2PI) spectroscopy. The electronic origin is in the middle of the visible spectrum (21934 cm(-1) = 455.9 nm) and is accompanied by Franck-Condon activity involving the hindered methyl rotor. The frequencies and intensities are fit to a one-dimensional methyl rotor potential, using the calculated form of the ground state potential. The methyl rotor reports sensitively on the local electronic environment and how it changes with electronic excitation, shifting from a preferred ground state orientation with one CH in-plane and anti to the furan oxygen, to an orientation in the excited state in which one CH group is axial to the plane of the furan ring. Ground and excited state alkyl CH stretch infrared spectra are recorded using resonant ion-dip infrared (RIDIR) spectroscopy, offering a complementary view of the methyl group and its response to electronic excitation. Dramatic changes in the CH stretch transitions with electronic state reflect the changing preference for the methyl group orientation.

Direct observation of realistic-temperature fuel combustion mechanisms in atomistic simulations

Advanced accelerated molecular dynamics simulations provide a detailed atomic-level picture of combustion at realistic temperatures and pressures.

Atomistic simulations can in principle provide an unbiased description of all mechanisms, intermediates, and products of complex chemical processes. However, due to the severe time scale limitation of conventional simulation techniques, unrealistically high simulation temperatures are usually applied, which are a poor approximation of most practically relevant low-temperature applications. In this work, we demonstrate the direct observation at the atomic scale of the pyrolysis and oxidation of n-dodecane at temperatures as low as 700 K through the use of a novel simulation technique, collective variable-driven hyperdynamics (CVHD). A simulated timescale of up to 39 seconds is reached. Product compositions and dominant mechanisms are found to be strongly temperature-dependent, and are consistent with experiments and kinetic models. These simulations provide a first atomic-level look at the full dynamics of the complicated fuel combustion process at industrially relevant temperatures and time scales, unattainable by conventional molecular dynamics simulations.

Formation of furan along with HO₂ during the OH-initiated oxidation of 2,5-DHF and 2,3-DHF: an experimental and computational study

Experimental characterization of products during OH-initiated oxidation of dihydrofurans (DHF) confirms the formation of furan accompanied by the formation of HO2 to be a significant channel in 2,5-DHF (21 ± 3%), whereas it is absent in 2,3-DHF. Theoretical investigations on the reaction of OH with these molecules are carried out to understand this difference. All possible channels of reaction are studied at M06-2X level with 6-311G* basis set, and the stationary points on the potential energy surface are optimized. The overall rate coefficients calculated using conventional TST with Wigner tunneling correction for 2,5-DHF and 2,3-DHF are 2.25 × 10(-11) and 4.13 × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), respectively, in the same range as the previously determined experimental values. The branching ratios of different channels were estimated using the computed rate coefficients. The abstraction of H atom, leading to dihydrofuranyl radical, is found to be a significant probability, equally important as the addition of OH to the double bond in the case of 2,5-DHF. However, this probability is very small in the case of 2,3-DHF because the rate coefficient of the addition reaction is more than 10 times that of the abstraction reaction. This explains the conspicuous absence of furan among the products of the reaction of OH with 2,3-DHF. The calculations also indicate that the abstraction reaction, and hence furan formation, may become significant for OH-initiated oxidation of 2,3-DHF at temperatures relevant to combustion.

Combustion chemistry and flame structure of furan group biofuels using molecular-beam mass spectrometry and gas chromatography - Part II: 2-Methylfuran

This is Part II of a series of three papers which jointly address the combustion chemistry of furan and its alkylated derivatives 2-methylfuran (MF) and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) under premixed low-pressure flame conditions. Some of them are considered to be promising biofuels. With furan as a common basis studied in Part I of this series, the present paper addresses two laminar premixed low-pressure (20 and 40 mbar) flat argon-diluted (50%) flames of MF which were studied with electron-ionization molecular-beam mass spectrometry (EI-MBMS) and gas chromatography (GC) for equivalence ratios φ=1.0 and 1.7, identical conditions to those for the previously reported furan flames. Mole fractions of reactants, products as well as stable and reactive intermediates were measured as a function of the distance above the burner. Kinetic modeling was performed using a comprehensive reaction mechanism for all three fuels given in Part I and described in the three parts of this series. A comparison of the experimental results and the simulation shows reasonable agreement, as also seen for the furan flames in Part I before. This set of experiments is thus considered to be a valuable additional basis for the validation of the model. The main reaction pathways of MF consumption have been derived from reaction flow analyses, and differences to furan combustion chemistry under the same conditions are discussed.

Combustion chemistry and flame structure of furan group biofuels using molecular-beam mass spectrometry and gas chromatography - Part I: Furan

Fuels of the furan family, i.e. furan itself, 2-methylfuran (MF), and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) are being proposed as alternatives to hydrocarbon fuels and are potentially accessible from cellulosic biomass. While some experiments and modeling results are becoming available for each of these fuels, a comprehensive experimental and modeling analysis of the three fuels under the same conditions, simulated using the same chemical reaction model, has - to the best of our knowledge - not been attempted before. The present series of three papers, detailing the results obtained in flat flames for each of the three fuels separately, reports experimental data and explores their combustion chemistry using kinetic modeling. The first part of this series focuses on the chemistry of low-pressure furan flames. Two laminar premixed low-pressure (20 and 40 mbar) flat argon-diluted (50%) flames of furan were studied at two equivalence ratios (φ=1.0 and 1.7) using an analytical combination of high-resolution electron-ionization molecular-beam mass spectrometry (EI-MBMS) in Bielefeld and gas chromatography (GC) in Nancy. The time-of-flight MBMS with its high mass resolution enables the detection of both stable and reactive species, while the gas chromatograph permits the separation of isomers. Mole fractions of reactants, products, and stable and radical intermediates were measured as a function of the distance to the burner. A single kinetic model was used to predict the flame structure of the three fuels: furan (in this paper), 2-methylfuran (in Part II), and 2,5-dimethylfuran (in Part III). A refined sub-mechanism for furan combustion, based on the work of Tian et al. [Combustion and Flame 158 (2011) 756-773] was developed which was then compared to the present experimental results. Overall, the agreement is encouraging. The main reaction pathways involved in furan combustion were delineated computing the rates of formation and consumption of all species. It is seen that the predominant furan consumption pathway is initiated by H-addition on the carbon atom neighboring the O-atom with acetylene as one of the dominant products.

Conversion of furfuryl alcohol into 2-methylfuran at room temperature using Pd/TiO2 catalyst

The selective hydrogenation of furfuryl alcohol into 2-methylfuran was investigated at room temperature using palladium supported catalysts.

Shock tube and chemical kinetic modeling study of the oxidation of 2,5-dimethylfuran

A detailed kinetic model describing the oxidation of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a potential second-generation biofuel, is proposed. The kinetic model is based upon quantum chemical calculations for the initial DMF consumption reactions and important reactions of intermediates. The model is validated by comparison to new DMF shock tube ignition delay time measurements (over the temperature range 1300-1831 K and at nominal pressures of 1 and 4 bar) and the DMF pyrolysis speciation measurements of Lifshitz et al. [ J. Phys. Chem. A 1998 , 102 ( 52 ), 10655 - 10670 ]. Globally, modeling predictions are in good agreement with the considered experimental targets. In particular, ignition delay times are predicted well by the new model, with model-experiment deviations of at most a factor of 2, and DMF pyrolysis conversion is predicted well, to within experimental scatter of the Lifshitz et al. data. Additionally, comparisons of measured and model predicted pyrolysis speciation provides validation of theoretically calculated channels for the oxidation of DMF. Sensitivity and reaction flux analyses highlight important reactions as well as the primary reaction pathways responsible for the decomposition of DMF and formation and destruction of key intermediate and product species.