Chapter XI. Chain Avalanche as a Kinetic Basis of Detonation. Chemical Control Methods

Contradictions between generally accepted ideas about a one-stage reaction underlying detonation and experimental data, which existed before the appearance of the author’s works are listed. Publications that deny the chain nature of reactions in gas detonation are mentioned. The necessity of a reaction of free atoms and radicals for the realization of explosion and detonation is explained. A test bench with a shock tube is described, on which experiments were carried out to identify the chain nature of reactions in detonation. Results are presented showing that, contrary to generally accepted ideas about the one-stage model of detonation reactions, chemical processes in the detonation of gases are chain processes with all the characteristic properties of this class of reactions. A stationary detonation wave was split into a combustion wave and a shock wave, and the stationary detonation velocity was varied by inhibition. It is noted that the results of identifying combustion, explosion, and detonation are a priority of Russia and Russian Academy of Sciences.