Thermal Decomposition of Normal Paraffins

Abstract

DURING the past two years, four papers dealing with the thermal decomposition of normal paraffin hydrocarbons by Sir Cyril Hinshelwood and his collaborators have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. The work described in them is based upon the following assumptions: (1) that primary decomposition, in the simplest case, involves the formation of methane, and the corresponding olefine; (2) that reaction is inhibited by the addition of nitric oxide to the paraffin, and may therefore be assumed to be initiated by free radicals, and carried forward by a chain mechanism; (3) that the rate of the process mentioned under (1) can be measured by observing the rate of change of pressure at constant volume and temperature.