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PUBLICATIONS

Chemical Kinetics and Fire

Published

Author(s)

Gregory Linteris, John Griffiths

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to set out the principles of chemical kinetics as they apply to combustion in flames and fires. Chemical equilibrium, which was discussed in a previous chapter, deals with the final preferred state of a given set of reactants after an infinite time has passed. In contrast, chemical kinetics deals with the rate at which the system proceeds to the equilibrium state, i.e., the specific participating chemical reactions and their rates. Chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics are related in that the thermodynamic, equilibrium state provides the driving force for chemical reaction. The material in this chapter is covered briefly; more detailed descriptions can be found in chemistry and combustion text books, from which much of the material was drawn.
Citation
SFPE handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, Sixth Edition
Publisher Info
Springer New York, New York, NY
Pub Type
Book Chapters

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

Fire research, fire safety, combustion kinetics, high-temperature reacting flow
Fire risk reduction, Fire modeling, Fire dynamics and science, Fire, Chemical thermodynamics and chemical properties and Buildings and Construction

Citation

Linteris, G. and Griffiths, J. (2025), Chemical Kinetics and Fire, SFPE handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, Sixth Edition, Springer New York, New York, NY, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959631 (Accessed October 12, 2025)

Issues

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Created December 31, 2025, Updated September 24, 2025
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