Hydrogen, methane, ethylene, hydrogen cyanide and succinonitrile had previously been identified by Ravinovich and Winkler as pyrolysis products of acetonitrile. In the present study, the presence of malononitrile, acrylonitrile, fumaronitrile, and dicyanobenzenes was also confirmed.
Malononitrile, the main product component, was formed at 800900°C under optimum condition in 78% yield, or in 50% selectivity based on the reacted acetonitrile. The reaction may be shown as follows.
2CH
3CN→CH
2 (CN)
2+CH
4
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