This work discusses the two-component model of reactive fluid - reactants and products - widely implemented for simulating detonation dynamics in condensed explosives. This study analyzes the sensitivity of detonation characteristic lengths to the inter-component heat-transfer hypothesis required to obtain a closed set of governing equations. The slowest and the fastest transfers - isentropic reactants and thermal equilibrium, resp. - are investigated. Earlier studies were restricted to the thermodynamic phase plane and have found a weak effect of the transfer hypothesis on state variables. On the contrary, this analysis considers the chemical kinetic process. A state-sensitive Arrhenius reaction rate and two sets of constitutive parameters are used to generate three types of reaction profiles suited to most one-step energy releases in liquid explosives - specifically, long, balanced or short induction, relative to reaction. The chemical lengths and critical diameters of one- or two-dimensional detonations thus prove to be very sensitive to the transfer hypothesis - specifically much larger with the fastest - as well as to small variations of constitutive parameters. Importantly, the profile type is independent of transfer but not of parameters. Therefore, a pertinent response to a transfer change is to recalibrate the rate time-factor so as to keep constant some reference length, according to the profile type. For inductive or balanced profiles, any length can be used such as the CJ reaction length or the critical diameter. Asymptotic profiles require special attention because their length ratios depend on transfer. Constitutive parameters cannot be used with a transfer hypothesis different from that they were calibrated with. Too large experimental errors or numerically under-resolved calibrations may lead to skewed reaction profiles, and hence erroneous simulations of detonation dynamics. Thus, more accurate constitutive relations and information on steady reaction profiles in detonating liquid explosives are necessary. (C) 2011 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.