Comparison of the thermal stability of coal-derived jet fuels in the autoxidative and pyrolytic regimes under batch and flow conditions

The thermal stability of coal-and petroleum-derived jet fuels and the associated model compounds decahydronaphthalene and n-tetradecane, as they go through the autoxidative and pyrolytic regime both under batch and flow conditions, was studied. Under batch reactor conditions, the decahydronaphthalene showed excellent thermal stability up to 500°C, whereas the n-tetradecane started its cracking process at around 450°C. Flow reactor studies mirrored the thermal decomposition of the model compounds, although the cracking appeared at higher bulk fuel temperatures. The thermal behavior of the experimental jet fuels also confirmed that the paraffinic proportion of the fuels is the main reason for thermal fuel degradation.