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Reactions of alkanes
Concepts tested here
- Pyrolysis
All Questions
2010 AIPMT-PRE 1 question
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Liquid hydrocarbons can be converted to a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons byWhen higher alkanes are heated to a high temperature in the absence of air (often with a catalyst), the large molecules break down into smaller alkanes and alkenes.
This thermal decomposition is called pyrolysis or cracking, e.g., $C_6H_{14} \xrightarrow{773\ K} C_6H_{12} + H_2$, $C_4H_8 + C_2H_6$, $C_3H_6 + C_2H_4 + CH_4$
Smaller hydrocarbons are gases, so liquid hydrocarbons are converted into a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons (as in the manufacture of oil gas from kerosene).
Hydrolysis does not affect hydrocarbons, oxidation gives $CO_2$ and water, and distillation only separates the components without breaking them.
Hence the process is cracking.