Investigating the combustion behaviour of various wood species via their fire gases

For the first time fire gases were extracted directly from the combustion boundary within various wood species subjected to fire and were subsequently analysed by means of GC/MS. Variations in the composition of the fire gases under increasing thermal load were continuously monitored and comparisons were made between the different wood species. Relatively high contents of acetic acid and methanol in the fire gases and a comparatively extensive splitting off of acetyl and methoxy groups proved to be concomitant with a high mass burning rate. Heartwood extractives were found to have no accelerating effect on the combustion process.