Study on the synergistic inhibition mechanism of N<sub>2</sub>/CO<sub>2</sub> on n-butane explosion

LI Yansheng; CHEN Jinshe; LI Hanxue; CHEN Haiyan; QI Qianyu; WANG Lei; ZHANG Yangmin; QI Guansheng

doi:10.11883/bzycj-2026-0021

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LI Yansheng, CHEN Jinshe, LI Hanxue, CHEN Haiyan, QI Qianyu, WANG Lei, ZHANG Yangmin, QI Guansheng. Study on the synergistic inhibition mechanism of N2/CO2 on n-butane explosion[J]. Explosion And Shock Waves. doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0021

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LI Yansheng, CHEN Jinshe, LI Hanxue, CHEN Haiyan, QI Qianyu, WANG Lei, ZHANG Yangmin, QI Guansheng. Study on the synergistic inhibition mechanism of N₂/CO₂ on n-butane explosion[J]. Explosion And Shock Waves. doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0021

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Study on the synergistic inhibition mechanism of N₂/CO₂ on n-butane explosion

doi: 10.11883/bzycj-2026-0021

LI Yansheng^1
,,
CHEN Jinshe^{1, 2, 3
,
,},
LI Hanxue¹,
CHEN Haiyan^{1, 2},
QI Qianyu¹,
WANG Lei¹,
ZHANG Yangmin⁴,
QI Guansheng^{1, 2}

1.
College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, Shandong China
2.
State Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Ecology Protection in Open-pit Coal Mines, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, Shandong China
3.
Qingdao Intelligent Control Engineering Center for Production Safety Fire Accident, Qingdao 266590, Shandong China
4.
Shandong Luqing Safety Assessment Technology Co., Ltd., Jinan 250101, Shandong China

Received Date: 2026-01-14
Rev Recd Date: 2026-05-07

Available Online: 2026-05-15

Abstract

Abstract

N-butane is a highly versatile low-molecular-weight alkane that serves not only as a clean and efficient energy carrier but also as a key feedstock in the modern petrochemical industry. However, its inherently high flammability and explosibility pose significant safety challenges during production, storage, transportation, and utilization. To effectively mitigate explosion risks, an integrated multi-view gas/dust/liquid-mist explosion-suppression test apparatus was employed to investigate the explosion behavior of n-butane–air mixtures and the suppression effects of pure N₂ and N₂/CO₂ mixtures. By varying the n-butane concentration, the most explosive concentration was first determined. Subsequently, different concentrations of nitrogen and N₂/CO₂ mixtures with varying proportions were introduced. As the proportion of CO₂ increased, the maximum explosion pressure, maximum pressure rise rate, and explosion index of the n-butane–air mixture progressively decreased, whereas the times required to reach the peak pressure and maximum pressure rise rate were progressively prolonged. Adjustment of the inert-gas composition revealed that the physicochemical synergistic suppression effect of the N₂/CO₂ mixture was stronger than the purely physical suppression effect of N₂ alone. High-speed camera observations of changes in flame velocity and morphology further confirmed the superiority of this synergistic suppression effect. It was therefore concluded that the physicochemical synergistic suppression effect of N₂/CO₂ is superior to the physical suppression effect of pure N₂. Furthermore, the chemical reaction kinetics of premixed n-butane–air mixtures under different conditions were investigated using Chemkin numerical simulation software. The results demonstrate that, as the proportion of CO₂ in the inert-gas mixture increases, the sensitivity of explosion pressure gradually decreases and the explosion reaction rate is substantially reduced. Compared with pure N₂, CO₂ exhibits a stronger synergistic physicochemical inhibitory effect on H and OH radicals during the reaction process. Moreover, it alters the maximum reaction rates (ROPs) of elementary reactions, thereby effectively suppressing the explosion reactions of premixed n-butane gas. These findings provide experimental evidence and theoretical support for technologies aimed at suppressing n-butane explosions.
- n-butane explosion,
- flame propagation,
- explosion suppression,
- synergistic effect,
- Chemkin simulation

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