Chemical composition of forest fuels affecting their thermal behavior

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Abstract
Flaming combustion is dependent upon the production of flammable volatiles that originate from the heating of the fuel materials. The thermal reactions that take place during this heating are determined by the chemical composition of the fuel. A knowledge of fuel chemistry and thermal reactivity can be useful in understanding and predicting fire behavior. Four plant materials were studied because their thermal decomposition curves showed unusually strong peaks from unknown combustible volatiles. The objective was to isolate and identify the chemical source of these volatiles. The tissues were methodically fractionated by following previously published techniques. Effects of each fractionation were carefully monitored by thermogravimetric analysis before and after treatment. Arabinogalactan was identified as the source of 325–350 °C volatiles from western larch (Larixoccidentalis Nutt.) wood. The major component of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) bark that decomposed above 400 °C was suberin. Foliage from gallberry (Ilexglabra (L.) Gray) and ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa Laws.) contained cutin, which was responsible for their volatiles produced above 400 °C. The thermal behaviors of suberin and cutin reflect their similar chemical composition. The presence of these chemical components may produce similar thermal behavior in numerous other plant tissues.

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