To reveal the effects of particle characteristics on the mechanisms of flame propagation during organic dust explosions clearly, three long chain monobasic alcohols which are solids at room temperature and have similar physical-chemical properties were chosen to carry out experiments in a half-closed small chamber. A high-speed video camera was used to record the flame propagation process and to obtain the direct light emission photographs. Flame temperature was detected by a fine thermocouple. Based on the experimental results above, analysis was conducted on flame propagation characteristics and temperature profiles of organic particle cloud. As a result, it was found that the particle materials, especially volatility, strongly affected the flame propagation behavior. Particle concentration also affects the combustion zone propagation process significantly. With increasing the particle concentration, the maximum temperature of the combustion zone increases at the lower concentration, reaches a maximum value, and then decreases at the higher concentration. The propagation velocity of the combustion zone has a linear relationship with the maximum temperature, which implies conductive heat transfer is dominant in the flame propagation process of the three different volatile dusts. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.