Chain reaction mechanism in hydrogen/fluorine combustion

Vibrationally excited species have been considered to play significant roles in H2/F2 reaction systems. In the present study, in order to obtain further understanding of the chain reaction mechanism in the combustion of mixtures containing H2 and F2, burning velocities for H2/F2/O2/N2 flames were measured and compared to that obtained from kinetic simulations using a detailed kinetic model, which involves the vibrationally excited species, HF(ν) and H2(ν), and the chain-branching reactions, HF(ν > 2) + F2 = HF + F + F (R1) and H2(ν = 1) + F2 = HF + H + F (R2). The results indicated that reaction R1 is not responsible for chain branching, whereas reaction R2 plays a dominant role in the chain reaction mechanism. The kinetic model reproduced the experimental burning velocities with the presumed rate constant of k2 = 6.6 × 10(-10) exp(-59 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) s(-1) for R2. The suggested chain-branching reaction was also investigated by quantum chemical calculations at the MRCI-F12+CV+Q/cc-pCVQZ-F12 level of theory.