Thermogravimetric investigation of thermal oxidation, kinetics, and synergistic effects on JET A-1 and its blend with a renewable fuel compound

Abstract

This study explores the thermal behavior and volatilization kinetics of JET A-1 aviation kerosene and Farnesane, a sustainable aviation fuel compound, and their blend through thermogravimetric analysis in an oxidative atmosphere. For such, experiments were conducted under a synthetic air atmosphere at three different heating rates (10, 15, and 20 ℃ min⁻¹), and results showed that Farnesane exhibits high thermal stability up to approximately 80 °C, followed by rapid decomposition, whereas JET A-1 starts decomposing at 35 °C and volatilizes gradually until reaching 109 °C. The minimum energy required for the volatilization process of Farnesane to start taking place is about four times greater than that for JET A-1, i.e. 53.72 KJ mol⁻¹ and 12.67 KJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Activation energy of 8.88 KJ mol⁻¹ was found for the Farnesane-JET A-1 blend, which is a lower than that for pure kerosene, thus revealing a beneficial and synergistic effect between them, which should ease the initial stages of fuel vaporization, since it is of paramount relevance for efficient combustion.