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Many chemical mechanisms have been proposed for the formation of incipient soot in flames. The ionic mechanism has not been widely embraced; it is considered a competitor to free radical mechanisms which have received more attention. It seems timely to review the evidence for the ionic mechanism, which we do here.
Calcote, H.
, Olson, D.
and Keil, D.
(1988),
Are Ions Important in Soot Formation?, Energy and Fuels, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=912617
(Accessed October 14, 2025)