Ch 4 Combustion and Flame

Combustion
A chemical process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give off heat is called combustion.
The substance that undergoes combustion is said to be combustible. It is also called a fuel.

Combustion can be of two types:

1. Complete Combustion – releases CO2 and less pollutants Ex. Magnesium

2. Incomplete combustion – releases oxides of nitrogen like NO and NO2, oxides of carbon CO
and CO2, oxides of sulphur SO and SO2 Ex- Coal, Charcoal

Essential for combustion

1. Presence of O2
2. Ignition Temperature
3. Combustible Substance i.e Fuel  Heat

Ignition Temperature
The lowest temperature at which a substance catches fire is called its ignition temperature. Every
object has its own ignition temperature. When we provide heat to its ignition temperature , the
object catches fire.

Matchstick

The history of matchsticks goes back a long way. Over five thousand years ago, the ancient
Egyptians used small pieces of pinewood dipped in sulfur as matches. The modern safety
match, however, was developed only about two hundred years ago.

Initially, matches had a head made of a mixture of antimony trisulfide(Sb₂S₃), potassium

chlorate(KCIO3), white phosphorus(P4), glue, and starch. Striking the match against a rough
surface caused the white phosphorus to ignite due to the heat of friction, starting the
combustion process. However, white phosphorus was dangerous for both the workers
making the matches and the users.

Today, safety matches are made differently. The head of the match contains antimony
trisulfide and potassium chlorate. The rubbing surface, where you strike the match, has
powdered glass and a small amount of red phosphorus, which is much safer than white
phosphorus. When you strike the match, some red phosphorus turns into white
phosphorus. This white phosphorus then reacts with the potassium chlorate in the match
head, producing enough heat to ignite the antimony trisulfide and start the combustion.

Initially, white phosphorus was used in the head of matches because it ignites easily due to
friction. When the match is struck against a rough surface, the heat generated is enough to
ignite the white phosphorus,
The substances which have very low ignition temperature and can easily catch fire with a
flame are called inflammable substances eg LPG(liquefied petroleum gas), CNG(compressed
Natural Gas)

Controlling Fire
Water cools the combustible material so that its temperature is brought below its ignition
temperature. This prevents the fire from spreading. Water vapours also surround the combustible
material, helping in cutting off the supply of air. So, the fire is extinguished.
we can’t use water extinguishing fire because fire is a good conductor of fire and can result in an
electric shock

Requirements for combustion are: fuel, air (to supply oxygen) and heat (to raise the temperature of
the fuel beyond the ignition temperature). Fire can be controlled by removing one or more of these
requirements

water is also not suitable for fires involving oil and petrol., it sinks below the oil, and oil keeps
burning on the top as water has higher density than oil and petrol

For fires involving electrical equipment and inflammable materials like petrol, carbon dioxide (CO2 )
is the best extinguisher. CO2 , being heavier than oxygen, covers the fire like a blanket. Since the
contact between the fuel and oxygen is cut off, the fire is controlled. The added advantage of CO2 is
that in most cases it does not harm the electrical equipment.

CO2 expands enormously in volume and cools down. So, it not only forms a blanket around the fire,
it also brings down the temperature of the fuel. That is why it is an excellent fire extinguisher.
Another way to get CO2 is to release a lot of dry powder of chemicals like sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate(KHCO₃). Near the fire, these chemicals give off CO2 .

1. Water (not in oil and petrol as high in density also not in electric because good conductor of
heat)
2. Fire extinguisher (co2 as it is heavier than oxygen it cover the oxygen and thus extinguish
fire)
3. sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate(KHCO₃) mixture of thse
produces co2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an excellent fire extinguisher for two main reasons:

1. Blanket Effect: When CO2 is released onto a fire, it forms a dense blanket around
the flames. This blanket effectively smothers the fire by cutting off its supply of
oxygen, which is one of the three essential elements (fuel, heat, and oxygen) needed
for combustion.
2. Cooling Effect: CO2 also helps to lower the temperature of the fuel that is burning.
By cooling the fuel, it reduces the heat available to sustain the fire, making it harder
for the fire to continue burning.

Another way to generate CO2 for fire extinguishing purposes is by releasing a lot of dry
powder chemicals, such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate.
When these chemicals are near a fire, they decompose and release CO2 gas. This released
CO2 then acts to smother the fire and lower the temperature of the fuel, effectively
extinguishing the flames.

Types of Combustion
Rapid combustion
We find that the gas burns rapidly and produces heat and light. Such combustion is known as rapid
combustion. There are substances like phosphorus which burn in air at room temperature

Spontaneous Combustion
The type of combustion in which a material suddenly bursts into flames, without the application of
any apparent cause is called spontaneous combustion.

Explosion
a sudden reaction takes place with the evolution of heat, light and sound. A large amount of gas
formed in the reaction is liberated. Such a reaction is called explosion

Spontaneous combustion of coal dust has resulted in many disastrous fires in coal mines.
Spontaneous forest fires are sometimes due to the heat of the sun or due to lightning strike.

Flame
The substances which vaporise during burning, give flames. For example, kerosene oil and molten
wax rise through the wick and are vaporised during burning and form flames. Charcoal, on the other
hand, does not vaporise and so does not produce a flame

When the candle flame is steady, introduce a clean glass plate/slide into the luminous zone of the
flame. A circular blackish ring is formed on the glass plate/slide. It indicates the deposition of
unburnt carbon particles present in the luminous zone of the flame
Outermost is non luminious and is hottest and there is presence of oxygen and therefore it gives out
blue flame

2nd outmost is luminous but produce moderate heat

Innermost in the least hot and prdouces black oxide – incompete combustion. There is no presence
of oxygen and therefore it gives out black flame and releases black unburnt carbon particles

Fuel

A fuel is any substance that can be burned or otherwise consumed to produce heat, energy,
or power. Fuels store potential energy that, when released through combustion, chemical
reaction, or nuclear process, can be harnessed for various uses, such as heating, powering
engines, generating electricity, or running industrial processes. Examples of fuels include:

 Fossil Fuels: Coal, oil, natural gas

 Biofuels: Wood, ethanol, biodiesel
 Nuclear Fuels: Uranium, plutonium
 Hydrogen: Used in fuel cells to produce electricity

No Fuel is considered as Ideal Fuel as any fuel cannot give 100% efficiency
Characteristics of A good Fuel are:

1. It is cheap and Readily available

2. It has high calorific Value
3. It has low Ignition temperature
4. It releases heat in controlled manner
5. It doesn’t leave behind any undesirable substance and release less pollutants
6. It undergoes complete combustion
7. It can be easily transported and can be easily stored

Calorific Value
The amount of heat energy produced on complete combustion of 1 kg of a fuel is called its calorific
value. The calorific value of a fuel is expressed in a unit called kilojoule per kg (kJ/kg).

Burning of Fuels Leads to Harmful Products

The increasing fuel consumption has harmful effects on the environment:

1. Unburnt Carbon Particles: Carbon fuels like wood, coal, and petroleum release unburnt
carbon particles. These fine particles are dangerous pollutants that can cause respiratory
diseases, such as asthma.
2. Carbon Monoxide Gas: Incomplete combustion of these fuels produces carbon monoxide
(CO) gas. This gas is highly poisonous and can be fatal. It is especially dangerous to burn coal
in a closed room, as the carbon monoxide produced can kill persons sleeping in that room.
3. Carbon Dioxide Emission: Combustion of most fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the
environment. The increased concentration of CO2 in the air is believed to cause global
warming. Global warming is the rise in the Earth's atmospheric temperature. This leads to
the melting of polar glaciers, resulting in a rise in sea levels, which causes floods in coastal
areas. Low-lying coastal areas may even be permanently submerged underwater.
4. Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides Emission: Burning coal and diesel releases sulfur dioxide
(SO2) gas, which is extremely suffocating and corrosive. Petrol engines emit gaseous oxides
of nitrogen (NOx). These oxides dissolve in rainwater to form acids, leading to acid rain. Acid
rain is very harmful to crops, buildings, and soil.
5. Acid rain: oxides dissolve in rainwater to form acids, leading to acid rain. Acid rain is very
harmful to crops, buildings, and soil.

Difference B/W LPG AND CNG

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