Ethyl acetate oxidation in flame condition: an experimental study

For a better knowledge of the oxidation process of volatile organic compounds, the experimental study of Ethyl Acetate (EA) oxidation in CH4/EA/O2/N2 low pressure flames has been investigated. Molecular species concentration profiles have been obtained by coupling microprobe sampling with gas chromatography (GC/TCD/FID, GC/MS) analysis. The addition of EA to a reference methane/air flame induces (1) an enhancement of the C2 and C3 hydrocarbon oxidation pathways and (2) the formation of oxygenated intermediate compounds such as aldehydes, alcohols and ketones. The experimental results are discussed to point out the kinetic processes involved in the high temperature oxidation of EA, which may contribute to the development of a detailed chemical mechanism. To our knowledge, we present the first experimental study concerning EA oxidation in flame conditions.