- Author
- Levendis, Y. A. | Flagan, R. C.
- Title
- Monodisperse, Spherical, Synthetic Char Particles for Studies of Char Oxidation.
- Coporate
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Ca
- Sponsor
- Department of Energy, Washington, DC
- Contract
- GRANT-DE-FG22-84PC70775
- Book or Conf
- Combustion Institute/Canadian and Western States Section. Spring Meeting, 1986. April 27-30, 1986., Banff, Alberta, Canada, 1-18 p., 1986
- Keywords
- char
- Abstract
- A method of generating spherical glassy carbon particles of uniform size has been developed to aid in the understanding of char oxidation. Combustion of these particles eliminates uncertainties due to variation of particle size and chemical composition. Pore structure develops as the glassy carbon is cured, resulting in smll differences in the surface characteristics of the particles, but no apparent change in the particle size. the combustion of these carbon particles was studied in a drop tube furnace. In spite of their apparent similarities, the combustion behavior of the carbon spheres varied widely. Some particles ignited and burned very rapidly at temperatures significantly greater than that of the furnace, while other particles in the same experiment burned more slowly at temperatures much closer to that of the surroundings. The differences in burn times were as much as two orders of magnitude. The morphologies of partially burned particles suggest that the high burn rates occurred when pores were concentrated near the particle surface, wheras when the porosity was confined to the inner regions of the particles, combustion proceeded more slowly.