Toward Quantitative Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Pyrolysis of Bulk Materials at High Temperature and Pressure

Abstract

AbstractAn evaluation was made of whether T-jump/FTIR spectroscopy could be used to determine the decomposition kinetics (Ea and ln A) and thermochemical (ΔHd) constants of an energetic material at high temperature and high heating rate. Polystyrene peroxide was chosen because of its known, simple, decomposition process. The kinetic constants are reasonable for O-O bond homolysis as the rate determining step: Ea = 39 kcal/mol, ln (A, s−1 ) = 21.5. Significant uncertainty exists, however, in the estimation of ΔHd.