Open-source chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport — Cantera

Cantera is an open-source suite of tools for problems involving chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport processes.
Cantera automates the chemical kinetic, thermodynamic, and transport calculations so that the users can efficiently incorporate detailed chemical thermo-kinetics and transport models into their calculations.
Cantera utilizes object-oriented concepts for robust yet flexible phase models, and algorithms are generalized so that users can explore different phase models with minimal changes to their overall code.
Cantera can be used from Python and Matlab, or in applications written in C/C++ and Fortran 90.
Cantera is currently used for applications including combustion, detonations, electrochemical energy conversion and storage, fuel cells, batteries, aqueous electrolyte solutions, plasmas, and thin film deposition.
Where do I get started? The tutorials linked below will get you started using Cantera on your own machine.
Python Convert Input Files
What can Cantera do? We have a number of examples demonstrating the use of Cantera in some of our interfaces.
Python Matlab C++ C .NET Fortran
How do I install Cantera? Instructions for installing pre-built Cantera binaries can be found here.
Conda Pip Ubuntu Compile from source
What equations does Cantera solve? Descriptions of the models implemented by Cantera, including equations of state, energy and mass conservation, and chemical kinetics.
Thermodynamics Kinetics Transport Reactors 1D Flames
How do I use Cantera’s capabilities? Documentation for the classes and functions that make up Cantera.
Python C++ C Matlab YAML
The Binder service allows you to try out Cantera in the cloud without installing it on your computer. You’ll see some of our examples and be able to run them yourself!
The Cantera Users’ Group on Google Groups is the forum where most Cantera users have their questions asked and answered. If you need help using Cantera and cannot find an answer in the tutorials or documentation at Cantera’s website, consider joining and asking a question there. Find more information in our Community section.
Cantera is developed by a team of volunteers, and we’re always looking for new team members. If there is a feature you want added, a bug that needs to be fixed, or even just a typo in the documentation, changes from the community are always welcome. For more, see the section about contributing code on our Community page.
Cantera is a Sponsored Project of NumFOCUS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity in the United States. NumFOCUS provides Cantera with fiscal, legal, and administrative support to help ensure the health and sustainability of the project. Visit numfocus.org for more information.
Donations to Cantera are managed by NumFOCUS. For donors in the United States, your gift is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. As with any donation, you should consult with your tax adviser about your particular tax situation.
If you have found Cantera to be useful to your research or company, please consider making a donation to support our efforts. All donations will be used exclusively to fund the development of Cantera’s source code, documentation, or community.
© Copyright 2001-2025, Cantera Developers.
Created using Sphinx 8.1.3.
Built with the PyData Sphinx Theme 0.15.2.