CRACKING OF LIQUID N-HEXANE UNDER MICROWAVE-RADIATION

An investigation has been made of the cracking of liquid hydrocarbons under microwave radiation in the presence of a sensitizer. A mixture o f light (saturated and unsaturated) hydrocarbons is produced. It has b een shown that, during the microwave cracking of n-hexane at atmospher ic pressure, the ethylene content of the products is over 44 mol.%. In the presence of additions of hydroxyl-containing compounds, processes leading to coke formation are greatly suppressed with virtually no ch ange in the yield of target products.