Radiation-induced synthesis of branched liquid alkanes

The irradiation of gaseous alkane mixtures under circulation conditions was used for the synthesis of liquid branched hydrocarbons. It was found that the synthesized liquid product was a mixture of alkanes with the average molecular weight higher than the molecular weight of the parent gas by a factor of 3–4. The resulting liquids were characterized by boiling range from 35 to 200°C in atmospheric distillation. The average degree of molecular branching in the synthesized liquids was evaluated on the basis of their knock resistance. The octane ratings of liquid mixtures were above 95 (motor octane number) or 103 (research octane number). The fractional composition and detonation properties of the synthesized liquids suggested the prevalence of C₅–C₁₁ isomers with highly branched structures in these liquids. Depending on irradiation conditions, 2,3-dimethylbutane, 2-methylpentane, or 3-methylpentane was predominant among hexanes. As a rule, 2,2,3-trimethylbutane and 2,3-dimethylpentane prevailed among heptanes.