An experimental study of the early stages of the pyrolysis of acetylene.

Acetylene is believed to be a precursor of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot in the industrial pyrolysis and combustion of various hydrocarbons. The first experiment on the pyrolysis of acetylene was performed by Berthelot in 1866. However, the mechanism below 1500 K is still the subject of sharp controversy. Free radical mechanisms and molecular mechanisms were proposed by previous workers. Published experimental results are limited and are subject to interference by secondary and even tertiary reactions, so neither proposed mechanism could be eliminated. Study of the pyrolysis of acetylene at low conversions should provide crucial information regarding the mechanism.