Thermal decomposition of tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene (THTCPD, C 15 H 22 ), a high-energy-density hydrocarbon fuel, was conducted in a batch reactor at 385−425 °C to investigate its kinetics and decomposition products. The reaction activation energy and pre-exponential coefficient were established as 248.5 kJ mol −1 and 1.5 × 10 15 s −1 , respectively. The detailed analysis of the decomposition products indicated that THTCPD was first cracked into ethylene, C 5 (1,3-cyclopentadiene, cyclopentene, and cyclopentane), benzene, and C 10 (JP-10 and its isomers) and then to form secondary products. The possible primary mechanism was that the cleavage of the C−C bond of THTCPD produced diradicals, which were further converted into monoradicals through intermolecular hydrogen abstraction, and then the monoradicals generated primary products through βscission, isomerization, and intermolecular hydrogen abstraction reactions. Possible secondary decomposition of primary products (C 10 and C 5 species) may form small molecules (C 1 −C 4 species, methyl-and ethyl-cyclopentane, etc.), while some bimolecular reactions of C 5 species may form naphthalene and 2,3-dihydro-4-methyl-1H-indene. This study may provide possible fundamental experimental information and kinetics for the potential application of THTCPD fuel.

High-pressure thermal decomposition of tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene (THTCPD) and binary high-density hydrocarbon fuels of JP-10/THTCPD were investigated at 500−660 °C and 4.0 MPa in an electrically heated tubular reactor. The decomposition of THTCPD under high temperature, high pressure, and low residence time was conducted to analyze their effects on the products. The experimental results of JP-10/THTCPD pyrolysis show that the THTCPD pyrolysis is greatly easier than the thermal cracking of JP-10, and the addition of JP-10 can significantly promote the THTCPD pyrolysis, which is evidenced by the fact that THTCPD conversion increases up to 80% at 660 °C when blended with 50% JP-10. It may be ascribed to possible reason about the pathway and mechanism of JP-10/THTCPD pyrolysis is that the free radicals generated by the decomposition of THTCPD help to promote the decomposition of JP-10 via H-abstraction reactions. Correspondingly, a large number of new free radicals generated from the JP-10 pyrolysis could also react with JP-10 and THTCPD, which is helpful to promote the decomposition of THTCPD via H-abstraction reaction. Besides, the contribution of THTCPD to JP-10 could also explained by the chemical equilibrium point of view, since JP-10 is one of the products of THTCPD. Meanwhile, the thermal isomerization pathways of THTCPD are also slightly changed in the presence of JP-10. Our experiments could provide necessary information for the potential applications of THTCPD fuels in advanced aircraft.