Chemical kinetics and fire

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to set out the principles of chemical kinetics as they apply to combustion in flames and fires. Chemical equilibrium, which was discussed in a previous chapter, deals with the final preferred state of a given set of reactants after an infinite time has passed. In contrast, chemical kinetics deals with the rate at which the system proceeds to the equilibrium state, i.e., the specific participating chemical reactions and their rates. Chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics are related in that the thermodynamic, equilibrium state provides the driving force for chemical reaction. The material in this chapter is covered briefly; more detailed descriptions can be found in chemistry [1] and combustion [2–4] text books, upon which much of the material is based