Pyrolysis of propane under vacuum carburizing conditions: An experimental and modeling study

Propane has been pyrolyzed in a flow reactor system at different temperatures ranging from 640 °C to 1010 °C and at 8 mbar of partial pressure which are typical vacuum carburizing conditions for steel. Nitrogen was used as a carrier gas. The products of pyrolysis were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography. The reactor was numerically simulated by 1D and 2D flow models coupled to a detailed gas phase reaction mechanism. The gas atmosphere composition has been predicted under the conditions of vacuum carburizing of steel.