HIGH-TEMPERATURE PYROLYSIS OF FORMALDEHYDE IN SHOCK-WAVES

Thermal decomposition of formaldehyde diluted with Ar was studied behind reflected shock waves in the temperature range of 1200-2000 K at total pressures between 1.3 and 3.0 atm. The study was carried out for compositions from the concentrated mixture, 4% CH2O, to the highly dilute mixture, 0.01% CH2O by using time-resolve IR-laser absorption and IR-emission, and a single-pulse technique. From a computer-simulation study, the mechanism and the rate-constant expressions that could explain all of our data and previously reported ARAS data were discussed. This data obtained over a wide concentration range from 50 ppm CH2O to 4% CH2O were satisfactorily modeled by a five-reaction mechanism.