Kinetics and Mechanism of Chemical Marker Formation and Water-Activated Heat Generation
Abstract
Research has been conducted on two projects: intrinsic chemical markers and water-activate chemical heaters. It has recently been discovered at the Army's Natick, Massachusetts Research Development & Engineering Center that certain chemical substances produced as a result of the thermal treatment of food can serve as chemical indicators of sterility. The relationship between marker formation and bacteria destruction has been established through mathematical models an verified experimentally and by computer simulation of different thermoprocessing profiles. It has also been shown at Natick that packaged foods can be readily heated using a flameless chemical heater Kinetics and calorimetric studies have been carried out to determine which physical and chemical factors are most responsible for the energy released when water reacts with a magnesium-iron mixture in the presence of electrolyte in the heater. A mechanism for reaction and heat generation has bee developed which can serve as the basis for a dynamical model of the heater. On the basis of this mechanism, a strategy has been developed for suppression of the concomitantly generated H2 gas. Chemical marker, Thermal processing, Water-activated chemical heater, Hydrogen gas suppression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA281407
Entities
People
- Kenneth Kustin
Organizations
- Brandeis University