Thermal Reactions of Cyclic Ethers at Hygh Temperatures. 1. Pyrolysis of Ethylene Oxide Behind Reflected Shocks

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100233a026

The pyrolysis of ethylene oxide highly diluted in argon was studied behind reflected shocks in a single pulse shock tube.The temperature range covered was 830-1200 K and total pressures behind the shocks varied between 1.5 and 10 atm.Over this temperature range up to four orders of magnitude variation in the rate of production of the various reaction products could be determined.C2H6, CH4, C2H4, C2H2, C3H8, CH3CHO, and H2 were determined as a function of temperature, total density, and initial ethylene oxide concentration.It was shown that the main channel of pyrolysis is the ethylene oxide-acetaldehyde isomerization to yield upon decomposition methyl and formyl radicals as well as methane and carbon monoxide.The production of ethylene and acetylene could not be explained on the basis of the isomerization channel.Rupture of the C-O bond in ethylene oxide by H atom substitution is suggested to account for the production of these products.