The Mechanism and Dynamics of Explosive Combustion in Aerosol Fuels
Abstract
This project investigates the explosive combustion of aerosol fuels using a single particle mass spectrometer. Initiating explosive reactions of small samples (-l0(-12) grams) in vacuum allows the intermediate products of the reaction to escape into a collisionless region where we detect them using laser spectroscopy. Recent results from our laboratory explore the mechanism of amine sensitization in nitromethane. We initiate the decomposition of nitromethane/diethylamine aerosols using a CO(2) laser and observe the intermediates of the reaction using laser ionization coupled with time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. The laser ionization source is a vacuum-ultraviolet laser developed using funds from this grant, and it enables near threshold ionization of most radical reaction intermediates. We find that reactions of the aci-anion of nitromethane, formed in an acid-base equilibrium with the amine, are critical in the sensirization mechanism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 15, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA381447
Entities
People
- Roger E. Miller
- Tomas Baer
Organizations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill