Short Communication: High temperature oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether

The high temperature oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in argon diluent has been studied in reflected shock waves over the temperature range 1040 to 1850K and with pressures of 3.5 bar. The mixture compositions varied widely, with equivalence ratios varying from 0.25 for a fuel-lean, through 1.0 for a stoichiometric, to 2.5 for a fuel-rich mix. Measurements of the ignition delay times, characterised by chemiluminescence and pressure rise, reveal that MTBE is not equivalent to a synthetic mix of methanol and iso-butene as would be expected from the extrapolation of low temperature pyrolysis experiments reported in the literature.