Role of Benzene in the Radiolysis of Cyclohexane—Benzene Mixtures

Abstract

Benzene consumption, G(-benzene), has been measured in irradiated cyclohexane solutions containing 1%, 5%, and 10% benzene as a function of dose from 8×1020—80×1020 eV/g. G(-benzene) is found to decrease with increasing dose and to be approximately proportional to the square root of the initial benzene concentration. The composition of the polymer and dimer fractions obtained in the radiolysis of cyclohexane-5%—benzene-C14 mixtures shows that 25% of the consumed benzene appears as phenylcyclohexane and the rest as polymer. The magnitude of the G(-benzene) values suggests that radical scavenging by benzene is significant, although not the most important interaction.