Experimental and Modeling Study on the Thermal Decomposition of Jet Propellant-10

Jet Propellant-10 (JP-10) pyrolysis is performed in a continuous flow tubular reactor near atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 930–1080 K, a conversion range of 4–94%, and two dilution levels of 7 and 10 mol % JP-10 in nitrogen. Identification and quantification of the pyrolysis products of JP-10 are based on online two-dimensional gas chromatography with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and a flame ionization detector. JP-10 starts to react at 930 K and is fully converted at 1080 K. Among the more than 70 species up to C₁₄H₁₀ that were identified and quantified, tricyclo­[5.2.1.0^2,6]­dec-4-ene was identified for the first time, indicating the importance of bimolecular H-abstraction reactions in the consumption of JP-10. Critical assessment of the experimental data with the JP-10 combustion model by Magoon et al. [Magoon, G. R.; Aguilera-Iparraguirre, J.; Green, W. H.; Lutz, J. J.; Piecuch, P.; Wong, H. W.; Oluwole, O. O. Detailed chemical kinetic modeling of JP-10 (exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene) high-temperature oxidation: Exploring the role of biradical species in initial decomposition steps. Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 2012, 44 (3), 179−193] showed that the model predictions of JP-10 agree reasonably well. The newly acquired and highly detailed experimental data help in understanding the thermal decomposition chemistry of JP-10 and can be used to validate future kinetic models of JP-10 pyrolysis.