STABILITY OF LIQUID FLAME COMBUSTION WAVES

We study combustion waves propagating through a heterogeneous powder m ixture which initially forms a hard porous matrix. The matrix is destr oyed by the propagating combustion wave, due, e.g. to melting of some of the components of the mixture. Thus, a liquid bath is formed which contains a suspension of particles. The burning of the sample occurs i n a gravitational field. If the gravitational field is sufficiently st rong, and the densities of the species sufficiently different, then th ere is relative motion of the components which affects the composition of the species in the combustion wave, its structure, and therefore, the stability of the propagating wave. Depending on the direction of p ropagation of the wave and the relation between the densities of the s pecies, two different processes can occur. One is the separation proce ss which occurs either when the combustion wave propagates downward (i .e. in the direction of gravity) and the initial reactant is heavier t han the product, or when the combustion wave propagates upward and the initial reactant is lighter than the product. The other is the mixing process which occurs in the opposite situations. We find the characte ristics of the uniformly propagating combustion waves in such systems and show that generically the mixing process stabilizes, while the sep aration process destabilizes the propagation of the combustionwave. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.