Isomer-specific influences on ignition and intermediates of two C5 ketones in an RCM

Ketones have been considered as potential biofuels and main components of blend stock for internal engines. To better understand the chemical kinetics of ketones, ignition delay times of 2-pentanone (propyl methyl ketone, PMK) and 3-pentanone (diethyl ketone, DEK) were measured at temperatures of 895–1128 K under 10 and 20 bar, at equivalence ratios (ϕ) of 0.5 and 1.0 in a rapid compression machine (RCM). To explore the impact of carbonyl functionality and resonance stabilized structures of fuel radicals on their combustion kinetics, high-temperature pyrolysis at 1130 K and relatively low-temperature oxidation at 950 K studies were performed in an RCM, and the time-resolved species concentration profiles under these two conditions were quantified using a fast sampling system and gas chromatography (GC). A new kinetic model containing low-temperature reactions was built aiming at predicting the pyrolysis and oxidation behaviors of both ketones. The consumption pathways of the resonance stabilization fuel radicals through oxygen addition and following reactions are promoted since the decomposition rates of these radicals are about 4 orders magnitudes lower than regular fuel radicals. The occurrences of the so-called “addition-dissociation reactions”, i.e., ketones reacting with a hydrogen yielding aldehyde or reacting with a methyl radical yielding shorter-chain-length ketones, are verified in pyrolysis experiments. Based on experiments and model analysis, the carbonyl functionality in both ketones is preserved during the process of β-scissions of fuel radicals and α-scissions of fuel-related acyl radicals, resulting in the direct formation of CO and ketene. However, the position of carbonyl functionality has a significant impact on the species pools.