Experimental and kinetic modeling investigation of toluene combustion in premixed, one-dimensional and laminar toluene-oxygen-argon flames

One-dimensional, premixed and laminar toluene–oxygen–argon flames, with equivalence ratios of 0.7 and 1.0 were stabilized at low pressure on a flat flame burner. Mole fraction profiles of 18 chemical species have been measured by gas chromatography and molecular beam mass spectrometry. A kinetic model with a good predictive capability has been developed to compare with experimental data. A comparative reaction rate analysis of predicted flame structures has allowed us to determine main pathways of toluene combustion and their dependence on temperature and equivalence ratio.