STUDY OF THE KINETICS OF THE PROPANE-BUTANE FRACTION PYROLYSIS PROCESS
Abstract
This study investigates the kinetics of the pyrolysis process of a propane-butane fraction. The thermal decomposition reaction was conducted in a quartz reactor packed with 0.3–0.5 mm quartz chips (hereinafter referred to as "quartz") under an oxygen-free environment and elevated temperatures. The research focused on analyzing the decomposition process, which involves breaking C-C and C-H bonds in the absence of air at high temperatures. Before propane and butane undergo physical adsorption on the quartz surface, they first decompose into radicals. The subsequent thermal decomposition of the propane-butane fraction, primarily driven by C-C and C-H bond cleavage, is hypothesized to occur predominantly on the quartz surface within the reactor specifically designed for this process. At temperatures ranging from 500 to 800 °C, the catalytic decomposition of primary hydrocarbons on the quartz surface was examined under helium conditions, both with and without quartz. The results demonstrated the suppression of coke formation under these conditions, highlighting the significant catalytic role of the quartz surface in facilitating hydrocarbon decomposition.