Combustion Reaction Examples

Out of the many types of chemical reactions, what this article would be discussing today would be what is known as combustion reaction. The name itself would have given you some idea on what this type of chemical reaction is all about. It is about combustion, in other words, it involves the reaction between a fuel and an oxidant. The result of this type of reaction is heat or heat and light. Now this reaction may occur with a faster pace or in a slow manner.

Types of Combustion Reactions

# The first in the list is fire. In scientific terms, it is known as rapid combustion, wherein, heat and light are produced in high amounts. In some gases, apart from the heat and light, a large amount of gas is also produced, and this gives rise to a build up of excessive pressure. This pressure could be manifested by a loud noise, which we known as explosion.

# Our second example is about a much slower combustion. Here, the temperature at which the combustion operates is very low, thus, the process is flame-less. It is known as smoldering combustion, which only occurs on the surface. The rate at which this combustion proceeds is ten times slower than that of the rapid combustion.

# Cellular respiration is another important example. Even this is a slower kind of combustion reaction. The body obtains energy as a result of this reaction. This energy is produced along with carbon dioxide and water, when the glucose (acts as the fuel) reacts with oxygen (as the oxidant). Due to the relatively slow nature of combustion, the heat generated in this process is not manifested as the fire that occurs when a wood is burnt.

# Combustion of fossil fuels or let's say hydrocarbons (organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen) is a common example of combustion reaction. Common examples include methane, CH4, propane, C3H8, butane, C4H10 and octane, C8H18. Now, there are two kinds of combustion that may take place with hydrocarbons; complete and incomplete. In the first type, the reaction takes place in ample oxygen, yielding limited number of products such as energy, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. For example, when methane burns in oxygen, it yields carbon dioxide and water.

The reaction:

CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

In an incomplete combustion reaction, oxygen is not present in a quantity that is required to produce carbon dioxide and water. This means that the fuel is not allowed to react completely with oxygen. In other words, the reaction remains incomplete, as a result of which, it yields products that would be created in a complete combustion, along with a few other products. An example of this may be the reaction of methane in an inefficiency of oxygen. The reaction might produce carbon monoxide and water, and when the oxygen is decreased further, it may also produce carbon and water.

The reactions:

CH4 + 1.5O2 → CO + 2H2O

CH4 + O2 → C + 2H2O

And that was about some important examples which explain combustion reaction. The facts about this chemical reaction has been presented in a nut shell, and there is much more to learn and understand. So if you should look for more information, then no source would be better than books.