Molecular Elimination Processes Research Articles

Nature of the Reactions involved in the Pyrolysis of n-Butane inhibited by Propylene

IN order to explain the observed features of the pyrolysis of paraffin hydrocarbons in the presence of such rate-inhibitors as nitric oxide, propylene and isobutene, it has been suggested1 that the uninhibited reaction consists of two independent, concurrent mechanisms. The first is assumed to be an unbranched free-radical chain process, the second, a molecular elimination process. It is assumed1 that the former can be entirely suppressed by the addition of sufficient inhibitor. In the pyrolysis of n-butane, for example, the reactions responsible for the production of the major products through the free-radical mechanism are most likely to be: and, in the supposedly molecular portion of he reaction : Both mechanisms predict equal yields of ethylene and ethane.