Combustion characteristics of millimeter-level magnesium particles under controlled oxygen concentration environment

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.09.022

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2026, Vol. 60

Issue (9): 2042-2048 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.09.022

Combustion characteristics of millimeter-level magnesium particles under controlled oxygen concentration environment

Wenpu YUE(

),Zehao LI,Siyu YANG,Weijuan YANG*(

),Jianzhong LIU,Junhu ZHOU

State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China

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Abstract

Combustion experiments were conducted on spherical magnesium particles with a diameter of 3 mm in a methane flame environment. The effects of the volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent (13%?26%) and flame ambient temperature (1058?1220 K) on the combustion process of magnesium particles and the particle residue products were analyzed. The combustion of magnesium particles went through the stages of ignition, flame expansion, flame contraction, product aggregation and extinction. The outer layer of crystalline magnesium combustion residues exhibited a regular, loose, and white morphology. The inner layer of crystals was disorderly distributed and densely black. The composition of crystals was MgO. The combustion time was synergistically affected by the volume fraction of the effective oxidizing agent and the ambient temperature, primarily through diffusion and reaction kinetic mechanisms. The combustion time decreased with the increase of the volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent and the decrease of environmental temperature. A calculation formula for combustion time was obtained. The combustion time of 3 mm magnesium particles was sensitive to the volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent at low volume fraction. The effect of ambient temperature diminished with the increasing volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent.

Key words： millimeter-level magnesium particles effective oxidant volume fraction ambient temperature combustion time combustion product

Received: 04 August 2025 Published: 20 July 2026

CLC:

TK 16

Fund: 中国载人空间站工程空间科学与应用项目（KJZ-YY-NRS0603）.

Corresponding Authors: Weijuan YANG E-mail: 22327047@zju.edu.cn;yangwj@zju.edu.cn

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	Wenpu YUE
	Zehao LI
	Siyu YANG
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	Jianzhong LIU
	Junhu ZHOU

Cite this article:

Wenpu YUE,Zehao LI,Siyu YANG,Weijuan YANG,Jianzhong LIU,Junhu ZHOU. Combustion characteristics of millimeter-level magnesium particles under controlled oxygen concentration environment. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2026, 60(9): 2042-2048.

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https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.09.022 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2026/V60/I9/2042

可控氧浓度环境下毫米级镁颗粒燃烧特性

采用直径为 3 mm 的球形镁颗粒，在甲烷火焰环境下开展燃烧实验，研究有效氧化剂体积分数（13%~26%）和火焰环境温度（1058~1220 K）对镁颗粒燃烧过程及颗粒残留产物的影响，并揭示燃烧释能机理. 镁颗粒燃烧经历着火、火焰扩张、火焰收缩、产物凝聚和熄火阶段. 镁颗粒燃烧残留产物外层晶体呈片状规则排列、疏松呈白色；内层晶体无序分布，较紧密呈黑色，成分均为MgO. 有效氧化剂体积分数和环境温度通过扩散和反应动力学机制共同作用于燃烧时间，燃烧时间随有效氧化剂体积分数提高和环境温度降低而缩短，并得到燃烧时间的计算公式. 定量地揭示出3 mm镁颗粒燃烧时间对有效氧化剂体积分数的响应是低体积分数区敏感的，环境温度的影响效应随着有效氧化剂体积分数的提高而逐渐减弱.

关键词： 毫米级镁颗粒, 有效氧化剂体积分数, 环境温度, 燃烧时间, 燃烧产物

Fig.1 Flat flame combustion experimental system diagram

Fig.2 Change of ambient temperature with suspension height

Tab.1 Classification of combustion stages of magnesium particles

Fig.3 Micro-combustion process of 3 mm magnesium particles (X_eff=17.01%，h=1.5 mm)

Fig.4 Relationship between wavelength and spectral intensity at most violent moment of combustion of 3 mm magnesium particles

Fig.5 Flame images at most violent moment of combustion under different volume fractions of effective oxidizing agent

Fig.6 Change of combustion time of 3 mm spherical magnesium particles with volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent at different temperatures

Fig.7 Change of combustion time of 3 mm spherical magnesium particles with ambient temperature under different volume fractions of effective oxidizing agent

Fig.8 Relationship chart of volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent，ambient temperature and combustion time

Fig.9 Magnesium particles combustion time model based on temperature and volume fraction of effective oxidizing agent

Fig.10 3 mm magnesium particle combustion products

Fig.11 XRD date chart of 3 mm magnesium particle combustion products

Fig.12 SEM images of 3 mm magnesium particle combustion products

Fig.13 SEM images and complete product images of combustion product


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