Kinetics of the Autoxidation of a Jet-A Fuel

Kinetics of the autoxidation of a Jet-A fuel (POSF-2827) were examined with a near-isothermal flowing test rig (NIFTR) using passivated heat-exchanger tubing over the range 438−478 K. Analysis of the O 2 dependence for autoxidation of fuel having an initial O 2 saturation of 2.5−100% resulted in a reaction order of 0.5. Analysis for air-saturated fuel data based on the expected chain mechanism for a half-order O 2 dependence and second-order termination yielded log( k ap /M - 1/2 s - 1 ) = (12.9 ± 0.4) − (36.9 ± 0.8)/θ, where k ap is the apparent rate constant and θ = 2.303 RT kcal mol - 1 ( R is the ideal gas law constant, and T is absolute temperature). Inferences from the derived kinetic parameters suggest that initiation involves H-atom abstraction from either a vinyl or an aromatic fuel species.