How and why things burn
...the kinetics and thermodynamics of combustion
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Fire: |
the next three components form the fire triangle and are all necessary to sustain a fire |
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Heat: |
an
energy
source is necessary to ignite the sample (initiate burning) and
sufficient energy
must be produced by the flame to continue burning
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Fuel: |
sample must produce
fuel vapors (this may
involve simple vaporization or thermal decomposition of the sample)
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Oxygen: |
oxygen must mix with the
fuel vapors and reaction will occur with sufficient energy (the chemical
reaction is a complex mechanism that involves
radicals)
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Products: |
the
combustion products
are a mixture of hot gases and particulate matter that rise from the
fire |
