The combustion of wood presents an interesting problem in non-steady heat flow. When wood is heated, the temperature distribution at a given time may be calculated by means of the well-known conduction equation together with the relevant boundary conditions, provided that the temperature is nowhere sufficiently high to cause appreciable thermal decomposition. When this condition does not apply, the calculation becomes much more complicated, since, as has been recognized for a considerable time, the decomposition is exothermic. The general problem, therefore, is to calculate temperatures and rates of decomposition inside a mass of material, the thermal breakdown of which is accompanied by a heat change, given an initial set of conditions, and a known rate of supply of heat to the surface. The theoretical part of this paper aims at solving this problem for the case of sheets of wood heated in a comparatively simple manner. The treatment is, however, general and may be applied to other materials which undergo thermal changes without melting, if the relevant thermal and other constants are inserted.

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