Organic Fuels: Composition and Formation Enthalpy-Part I- Wood Derivatives, Related Carbohydrates, Exudates, and Rosin

ABSTRACT: The utilization of free energy minimization computer programs in areas of combustion research is likely to increase in the future. These programs require the specification of the reactant chemical formulas and their respective formation enthalpies as part of the input data set. Frequently, for common compounds, the values required are readily available in handbooks. Complex organic compounds or poorly characterized mixtures may not have the required data available in a directly usable form. This article evaluates a variety of organic fuels used in pyrotechnics from the perspective of establishing useful chemical formulas and formation enthalpies. Along the way, it is the author’s intention to simplify the methods used, to illustrate how many disparate sources of information may be drawn upon to achieve the estimation of the required values, and to demonstrate that each of the methods used is itself relatively easy to perform or calculate.

Keywords: chemical composition, enthalpy of formation, higher heating value (HHV), Benson group, free energy minimization, ultimate analysis, trace elements, wood, monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, polysaccharide, sugar, lactose, sucrose, cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose nitrate, lignin, starch, gum, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, guar gum, rosin

Ref: JPyro, Issue 8, 1998, pp1-17
(J8_1)

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