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Thermal cracking of ethylene, propylene, and light hydrocarbon mixtures

Conference · · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States)
OSTI ID:7350181
The thermal cracking of ethane, propane, n- and i-butane, ethylene, propylene and binary and ternary mixtures thereof has been studied in a pilot plant under widely varying conditions, as representative as possible for industrial operation. Detailed product distributions were collected. From a comparison of the product selectivities obtained from single components and from mixtures it is clear that considerable interaction occurs between the reacting species. This interaction is explained in terms of radical mechanisms. A simple rule for predicting the deviations from pure additivity encountered in binary mixtures is also derived. For ethane, propane, n- and i-butane the order was found to be practically one over the complete range of temperature and partial pressure of the hydrocarbon in the feed. For ethylene the order varied from 1.60 at 700/sup 0/C to 1.22 at 825/sup 0/C, the corresponding activation energy from 39000 to 77000, whereas for propylene the order varied from 1.50 at 725/sup 0/C to 0.95 at 825/sup 0/C, the activation energy from 36000 to 61000. The interaction between reacting species is also reflected in the kinetics.
Research Organization:
State Univ., Ghent
OSTI ID:
7350181
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Journal Volume: 21:7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English