Isothermal soot oxidation experiments with intermediate gas change in a Perkin-Elmer TGA6

Two isothermal soot oxidation protocols were tested in a Perkin-Elmer TGA6: (1) the sample was heated under N₂ and then the reaction gas was introduced and (2) the sample was introduced after the empty furnace was heated under the reaction gas. The first protocol is common in soot oxidation studies, it gives a measure of the volatiles and is easier to handle, but as it is shown the determined reaction rate may be falsified by the O₂ concentration. Using gas analysis it was found that ∼2000 s are necessary for the complete gas change in the instrument. An instrument specific correction function involving the O₂ concentration and reaction order n with respect to O₂ was developed which allowed the correlation of the rates measured with both protocols.