Gas and liquid phase pyrolysis of tetralin: A reconciliation of apparently contradictory data

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10176955· OSTI ID:10176955

Gajewski, J J; Paul, G C

The pyrolysis of tetralin under static reactor conditions at 450{degrees}C at 1--3 torr leads to hydrogen loss products (75%), C2 loss products (12%), and neophyl radical rearrangement products (12%). Tetramethylbutane initiated the reaction and the product distribution was unchanged. The rate of reaction is near first order in tetralin accelerated to. The rate is approximately 1/2 order in tetramethybutane. A mechanistic scheme is proposed which involves relatively fast hydrogen atom loss from the 1- or 2-tetralyl radical followed by slow hydrogen atom abstraction or hydrogen atom addition to tetralin, and formation of ring contracted product by reversible neophyl rearrangement of the 2-tetralyl radical followed by rate determining (in that pathway) hydrogen abstraction from tetralin. In the absence of external initiator, initiation by tetralin and termination by hydrogen atom recombination dependent on total pressure, rationalizes the first order behavior. Liquid phase pyrolysis of tatralln at much higher concentrations (ca 20000x) occurs with a rate only three times faster and 1-methylindan is the major product.

• Research Organization: Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-86ER13616
• OSTI ID: 10176955
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/13616--6; ON: DE92040308
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010405
09 BIOMASS FUELS
090900
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DEHYDROGENATION
HYDROGENATION AND LIQUEFACTION
PROCESSING
PYROLYSIS
REACTION INTERMEDIATES
STYRENE
TETRALIN