Prediction of Flame Temperatures, Part 1: Low Temperature Reactions

Daniel P. Dolata, Thomas I. Perigrin

ABSTRACT: A method based on heat of reaction and heat capacity at constant pressure (ΔHr and CP) was devised for the prediction of flame temperatures for simple “low temperature” pyrotechnic reactions containing either potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, or ammonium perchlorate (KClO3, KClO4, KNO3, or NH4ClO4) as the oxidant, and a mixture of shellac and sodium oxalate (Na2C2O4) as fuels. The method has an average error of ±41° for 15 reactions covering a 700° temperature range around 2200 K, with essentially no systematic error. Good predictions were obtained on calculations based on the published decomposition schemes of KClO3, KClO4, and KNO3, but the prediction of the flame temperatures of NH4ClO4 mixtures required a different decomposition scheme than those published in the pyrotechnic literature.

Keywords: flame temperature, heat capacity, thermodynamics, heat of reaction

Ref: JPyro, Issue 1, 1995, pp 37-46
(J01_37)

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