Toluene pyrolysis at low to atmospheric pressures: Experimental and kinetic modeling study

Wenhao Yuan, Jianghuai Cai, Zhandong Wang, Zhanjun Cheng, Feng Zhang, Fei Qi, Yuyang Li*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

The pyrolysis of toluene was studied in a flow reactor using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry, with focus on the pyrolysis behaviors of toluene at a wide range of pressures. Experiments were performed at 5, 30, 80, 200 and 760 Torr to study the effects of pressure on the decomposition of toluene and formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). More than 50 pyrolysis products such as radicals, isomers and PAHs were identified, and their mole fractions were quantified. Based on the recent theoretical and modeling work, a detailed kinetic model consisting of 214 species and 1004 reactions was developed. Pressure-dependent rate constants were used to simulate the decomposition of toluene and the formation of pyrolysis products at different pressures. Rate of production analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed for deep insight into the pyrolysis chemistry of toluene. It is concluded that toluene decomposition and PAH formation are very sensitive to pressure, e.g. the driven forces of toluene decomposition are unimolecular decomposition and bimolecular reactions at 5 and 760 Torr, respectively.

Original languageEnglish (US)
StatePublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes
Event9th Asia-Pacific Conference on Combustion, ASPACC 2013 - Gyeongju, Korea, Republic of
Duration: May 19 2013May 22 2013

Other

Other9th Asia-Pacific Conference on Combustion, ASPACC 2013
Country/TerritoryKorea, Republic of
CityGyeongju
Period05/19/1305/22/13

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering

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