COMBUSTION REACTION

BRYNN LAWRENCE
CHEM 1010
FALL 2016

DEFINITION
A reaction of a fuel with oxygen, producing energy in the form of heat
and/or light.
Combustion reactions are used to provide heat or electricity for homes,
business, or energy for transportation.
Examples:
Propane: C3H8(g) + 5O2(g)

3CO2(g) + 4H20(g)

Used to heat some rural homes

Gasoline: 2C8H18(l) + 25O2(g)

Used to power cars and trucks

Coal: C(s) + O2(g)

CO2(g)

Used to generate electricity

16CO2(g) + 18H20(g)

FIRE
TETRAHEDRON
Represents the addition of a
component in the chemical
chain reaction, to the three
already present in the fire
triangle.
Exothermic chain reaction
sustains the fire and allows it to
continue until or unless at least
one of the elements of the fire is
blocked.

STAGES OF FIRE
Incipient Fire: where the fire is just starting. Fire is moving vertically. Can mostly be put out
with fire extinguisher.
Growth: when the fire begins moving horizontally.
Auto-Ignition Temperature: occurs when the growth raises the temperature in the
compartment to the auto-ignition temperature.
Rich (Backdraft): fire has large amount of smoke and heat but low amount of oxygen so
ignition source begins to smolder out. When the fire is in this stage once oxygen is reintroduced to the ignition source then it becomes a fully involved.
Fully Involved: all products of combustion are burning
Pyrolysis: decaying of the combustible materials

FLASH OVER
A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly
exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. When certain
organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and
release flammable gases. Flashover occurs when the majority of the
exposed surfaces in a space are heated to their autoignition
temperature and emit flammable gases. Flashover normally occurs at
500C (932F) or 590C (1,100F) for ordinary combustibles.

WORK CITED
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtMmymOxdjc