Unimolecular gas-phase pyrolysis of ethyl chloride

Abstract

The pyrolysis of ethyl chloride in the gas-phase, yielding ethylene and hydrogen chloride, has been studied at four temperatures in the range 402–521°C and at pressures down to 0.2 mm Hg. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of Kassel, Slater and Marcus-Rice theories, all of which can be modified to give agreement. The unimolecular nature of the pyrolysis has been confirmed by comparing the behaviour of ethyl chloride and 1,2-dichlorethane towards chain-reaction inhibitors. A re-investigation of the high-pressure rate constant has given the Arrhenius expression: k_∞= 10^{14.03 ± 0.44} exp (–58,430 ± 1500/RT) sec^–1.