The combustion of some organo-metallic compounds

The diffusion flames of zinc metal vapour, of zinc dimethyl, cadmium dimethyl, lead tetramethyl, and iron and nickel carbonyls were investigated in a Wolfhard burner using either oxygen or air as the supporter, and either alone or along with hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, or acetaldehyde. The structure and the emission spectra of the flames are described. Substances which are spontaneously inflammable in air at ordinary temperatures owe their inflammability to formation of intermediate peroxides. Once the flame is established all the substances investigated decomposed thermally before the oxygen reaches that region of the flame. The position in which emission takes place of the various atoms and radicals formed is described. The polymerization to solid oxide particles in the flame is a very rapid process. Lead oxide bands show up strongly in the lead tetraethyl flames, and zinc oxide bands are discovered in the zinc dimethyl/oxygen flame and identified with those found in a zinc arc in air.