Dynamic infrared gas analysis from longleaf pine fuel beds burned in a wind tunnel: observation of phenol in pyrolysis and combustion phases

Abstract. Pyrolysis is the first step in a series of chemical and physical processes that produce flammable organic gases from wildland fuels can result fire. We report results using new time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) method correlates measured FTIR spectrum with an thermal image sequence, enabling identification quantification within different phases fire process. The flame burning fuel beds composed pine needles (Pinus palustris) mixtures sparkleberry, fetterbush, inkberry plants was natural heat source for pyrolysis. Extractive gas samples were analyzed identified both static dynamic modes synchronized to imaging: total 29 including small alkanes, alkenes, aldehydes, nitrogen compounds, aromatics, most previously by fires. This study presents one identifications phenol associated pre-combustion combustion ca. 1 Hz temporal resolution. Preliminary indicate ∼2.5× greater emissions sparkleberry compared differing profiles.