Publication costs assisted by the Federal School of Technology The radiolysis of n-paraffins with 5 to 16 carbon atoms is reviewed. The G values of the products, excepting dimers, are approximately the same for all the above paraffins. The temperature dependence is expressed as an apparent activation energy. The material balance shows that the product analysis is not complete and that the missing substances have a molecular weight higher than that of the dimers. The hydrogen production is divided into three processes: unimolecular hydrogen production, abstraction by thermal atoms, and abstraction by "hot" hydrogen atoms.The radiolysis of liquid n-paraffins has been described in a large number of publications (see, e.g., ref 1-3). In most cases the aim of the work was to study the product distribution or influence of additives in the radiolysis of one particular paraffin. If the number of significant products from re-hexane is say 40, then it is likely to increase well over 100 for re-decane. Since the product formation depends also upon temperature, it is somewhat difficult to draw conclusions concerning the general behavior of reparaffins. In this work we have attempted to describe a general mechanism which shows the yield of products together with their temperature dependence in the radiolysis of re-paraffins in order to survey the field. Our approach is broad and pragmatic: we will classify the products and try to find average G values for all re-paraffins.The temperature dependence of these values is expressed as apparent activation energies obtained by plotting In G vs. 1/T. We are well aware of the fact that these energies may have no theoretical significance. Our aim is to try to

Effects of dose and temperature on the yields of the majority of the radiolysis products of the n‐heptane, n‐octane, n‐nonane, n‐decane and n‐dodecane have been determined. The G‐values of the products, excepting dimers are approximately the same for all the above n‐alcanes. The temperature dependence, expressed as an apparent activation energy is shown to be equal for all n‐alcanes.

A method, using the radiolysis of an alkane, for the obtention of a great number of branched hydrocarbons is given. The retention index at 100° as well as its variation with temperature is determined on Apiezon L for 200 alcanes containing between seven and twenty four carbons. It is shown that for branched hydrocarbons the decrease of the retention index is mainly due to the length of the substituent group but also to its position on the chain. Some rules between retention index and molecular structure are deduced that allow the determination of the index of higher branched hydrocarbons. It is also shown that the variation of the retention index with temperature is only a function of the length of the substituent group.

No abstract