Carbon formation in diffusion flames and the role of acetyle

Abstract

Flat diffusion flames of hydrocarbons, stabilized on a burner similar to that originated by Wolfhard & Parker, have been examined with a specially constructed narrow-beam, recording infra-red spectrometer. The main purpose of the research was to obtain information concerning the processes by which solid carbon particles are formed in such flames. The fuels used were methane, ethane, ethylene, propane and butane. A band at 729 cm -1 has been observed in both absorption and emission in the spectra obtained, and was present in absorption for all the flames studied. This band has been assigned to acetylene. Although its position in the flame would be consistent with acetylene being an intermediate in carbon formation, considerations of the relative intensity of the 729 cm -1 band in flames of the various fuels, and of the effect of addition of acetylene to these flames, show it to be unlikely that acetylene fulfils this role.