Wall-less reactor studies. Part 1.—Ethane pyrolysis

Abstract

A wall-less reactor for gas kinetics studies is described. A procedure for interpreting results obtained from this for complex reactions has been developed. The method is applied to the pyrolysis of ethane, between 941 and 1073 K, in excess argon at 600 Torr (1 Torr = 133.3 N m^–2) in the complete absence of solid surfaces. The results are shown to agree with the reaction mechanism and rate constants obtained from studies in conventional reactors, within the ranges of variation of these constants. The homogeneous rate of ethene formation is close to half order in ethane with log₁₀(_0.5k/dm^– mol^½ s^–1)=(13.0 ± 0.4)–(305 ± 9) kJ mol^–1/2.303 RT. The rate constant for ethyl radical decomposition deduced is, log₁₀(k^∞₃/s^–1)= 13.5 ± 0.7–(175 ± 12) kJ mol^–1/2.303 RT.