| Abstract: | The pyrolysis of isobutane has been studied at 500°C in a “Pyrex” static reactor packed with platinum. It is shown that both dehydrogenation and demethanat on rates are strongly depressed by the metal packing. The reaction rates are very sensitive to the amount of cabonaceous coating which is deposited on the walls. As this amount increases, both rates first increase, go through a maximum and decrease. These observations are compared with those previously made on propane pyrolysis in a “Pyrex” reactor packed with stainless steel. The present results are interpreted on the basis of a hetero-homogeneous chain mechanism in which the selectivity of the free-radical reaction is not altered referring to the unpacked reactor. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
