THE PYROLYSIS OF OCTAFLUOROCYCLOBUTANE - REVISITED

A high-pressure, high-temperature reactor unit was developed to test b atch-wise inter-conversions of hydrocarbons. A major ambiguity charact erizes this reactor, as it does all similar units that have been descr ibed, determination of the time-temperature profile for the reacting m ixture. Here we report on a solution to this problem-use of a ''chemic al thermometer,'' based on the kinetics of dissociation of C4F8. We pr opose a revised set of rate constants that permit calibration of the r eactor operation. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.