Quasi-equilibrium approach to the zirconium-oxygen combustion phenomena

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Abstract
It is found, for pressures ∼ 1 atm and above, that the residence time for molecular oxygen, in the gas-phase combustion region surrounding a 525-μ zirconium droplet, is of the same order of magnitude or greater than the mean dissociation time for molecular oxygen; therefore, the concentration of species are assumed to have their equilibrium values. The distribution of species over the reaction zone is calculated by means of free-energy minimization. Calculation of the existing equilibria, under known reaction conditions, illustrates the existence or nonexistence of condensed phases. The meanings of reactive collision probability, apparent over-all oxygen incorporation probability and minimum fractional surface oxygen incorporation, as related to droplet combustion, are discussed. Additionally, some methods by which the maximum combustion temperature of the Zr-oxygen system has been obtained are discussed.