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Weakly bound free radicals have low-dissociation thresholds such that at high temperatures, time scales for dissociation and collisional relaxation become comparable, leading to significant dissociation during the vibrational-rotational relaxation process. Here we characterize this "prompt" dissociation of formyl (HCO), an important combustion radical, using direct dynamics calculations for OH + CH2O and H + CH2O (key HCO-forming reactions). For all other HCO-forming reactions, presumption of a thermal incipient HCO distribution was used to derive prompt dissociation fractions. Inclusion of these theoretically derived HCO prompt dissociation fractions into combustion kinetics models provides an additional source for H-atoms that feeds chain-branching reactions. Simulations using these updated combustion models are therefore shown to enhance flame propagation in 1,3,5-trioxane and acetylene. The present results suggest that HCO prompt dissociation should be included when simulating flames of hydrocarbons and oxygenated molecules and that prompt dissociations of other weakly bound radicals may also impact combustion simulations.

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The shock tube technique has been used to study the reactions CH3 + C2H6 → C2H4 + CH4 + H (1), CH3 + C2H4 → Products + H (2), and CH3 + C2H2 → Products + H (3). Biacetyl, (CH3CO)2, was used as a clean high temperature thermal source for CH3-radicals for all the three reactions studied in this work. For reaction 1, the experiments span a T-range of 1153 K ≤ T ≤ 1297 K, at P ~ 0.4 bar. The experiments on reaction 2 cover a T-range of 1176 K ≤ T ≤ 1366 K, at P ~ 1.0 bar, and those on reaction 3 a T-range of 1127 K ≤ T ≤ 1346 K, at P ~ 1.0 bar. Reflected shock tube experiments performed on reactions 1-3, monitored the formation of H-atoms with H-atom Atomic Resonance Absorption Spectrometric (ARAS). Fits to the H-atom temporal profiles using an assembled kinetics model were used to make determinations for k1, k2, and k3. In the case of C2H6, the measurements of [H]-atoms were used to derive direct high-temperature rate constants, k1, that can be represented by the Arrhenius equation k1(T) = 5.41 × 10(-12) exp(-6043 K/T) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) (1153 K ≤ T ≤ 1297 K) for the only bimolecular process that occurs, H-atom abstraction. TST calculations based on ab initio properties calculated at the CCSD(T)/CBS//M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory show excellent agreement, within ±20%, of the measured rate constants. For the reaction of CH3 with C2H4, the present rate constant results, k2', refer to the sum of rate constants, k(2b) + k(2c), from two competing processes, addition-elimination, and the direct abstraction CH3 + C2H4 → C3H6 + H (2b) and CH3 + C2H4 → C2H2 + H + CH4 (2c). Experimental rate constants for k2' can be represented by the Arrhenius equation k2'(T) = 2.18 × 10(-10) exp(-11830 K/T) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) (1176 K ≤ T ≤ 1366 K). The present results are in excellent agreement with recent theoretical predictions. The present study provides the only direct measurement for the high-temperature rate constants for these channels. Lastly, measurements of H-atoms from the reaction of CH3 with C2H2 provided direct unambiguous determinations of the rate constant for the dominant process under the present experimental conditions, the addition-elimination, CH3 + C2H2 → p-C3H4 + H (3b). Experimental rate constants for k(3b) can be represented by the Arrhenius equation k(3b)(T) = 5.16 × 10(-13) exp(-3852 K/T) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) (1127 K ≤ T ≤ 1346 K). The present determinations for k(3b) represent the only direct measurements for this reaction and are also in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions. The present experimental k(3b) values were also used to derive rate constants, k(-3b), for the more extensively studied back-process, the reaction of H-atoms with propyne. The best fit Arrhenius equation, combining the presently derived k(-3b) values with a recent experimental determination for k(-3b), can be represented by k(-3b)(T) = 3.87 × 10(-11) exp(-1313 K/T) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) (870 K ≤ T ≤ 1346 K). The present studies represent a novel implementation of the sensitive H-ARAS technique to measure...