Studies have been made of the combustion of droplets of liquid hydrocarbons, including kerosene and Diesel fuels, biofuels such as FAME and the alcohols, especially ethanol and n-butanol, and of pulverised solid biomass materials such as pine wood and Miscanthus which burn in an analogous fashion. Information is given on the burning rates of both the liquids and the solids and data given on soot formation yields for the different fuels. The mechanism of soot formation is discussed in relation to (1) volatile liquid fuels such as n-heptane, alcohols and aviation fuels, (2) liquid fuels having higher aromatic levels such as Diesel fuels, and (3) biomass particle combustion. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.