Experimental and kinetic modeling investigation on laminar premixed benzene flames with various equivalence ratios

Chemical structures of six laminar premixed benzene/oxygen/argon flames with equivalence ratios from 0.75 to 2.0 were investigated at 30 Torr. Dozens of flame species, especially radicals and large aromatics, were qualitatively identified and quantitatively measured using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). A kinetic model was developed from our previous models of aromatic fuels to simulate the decomposition of benzene and formation of large aromatics, and was validated against the measured mole fraction profiles of flame species. Based on the rate of production analysis in the leanest and richest flames, the decomposition processes of benzene and the fate of C6 and smaller products were discussed in detail. Benzene, phenyl radical and cyclopentadienyl radical are concluded as key precursors of large aromatics, and the low formation of PAHs in rich benzene flames compared with rich alkylbenzene flames mainly derives from the low production of benzyl radical, which is consistent with the observed trends of the sooting tendencies of benzene and alkylbenzenes in previous studies.