Kinetic Study on Thermal Decomposition of 1-Butene

Abstract

Thermal decomposition of 1-butene wa. s studied in a flow system under an atmospheric pressure, at temperatures ranging from 556 to 767CC, with residence times from O.05 to 18 sec and nitrogen/l-butene mole ratio of 15. Methane, propene, butadiene and ethylene were the major reaction products. Other produ ts were hydrogen, ethane, 1-pentene, 2-pentene, 3-methyl-1-butene and 1, 5-hexadiene. lsomerization to form 2-butene was also observed at lower temperatures.
The rate of decomposition obeys the first order rate equation with log k(sec-i)=13.1-59000/4.575 T. Both decomposition and isomerization can be accounted for by a free radical chain process. The experimentally observed product distributions as well as reaction rates are found to be in good agreement with those a1culated on the basis of the proposed chain scheme.