Abstract
This chapter describes the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Acyclic saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes or paraffins) are hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2 where n takes values from 1 to higher numbers. The chapter also describes the pyrolysis of acyclic hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and isobutene. Cyclic saturated hydrocarbons (cycloalkanes) are hydrocarbons containing one or more saturated rings of carbon atoms in their molecule. The rings may have three or more carbon atoms. Several cycloalkanes, mainly the homologs of cyclopentane and cyclohexane are present in large amounts in nature in crude oil. This class of compounds is also known as naphthenic hydrocarbons. The chapter discusses hydrocarbons compounds containing one double bond (C═C) in their molecule and is known as alkenes or olefins. The presence in nature of alkenes is less common than that of saturated or aromatic hydrocarbons, since they are reactive compounds. The pyorlysis of alkene discussed in the chapter includes ethylene, propylene, butenes, and isobutene. The chapter also describes pyrolysis of alkadienes and polyenes, cycloalkenes, alkynes, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
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