Radiolysis of ortho- and meta-terphenyl

A summary is presented of a series of investigations of the radiolytic decomposition of ortho- and meta-terphenyl by reactor radiation with varying proportions of fast neutrons and gamma rays and of meta-terphenyl by 1.3 MeV electrons in the temperature range 100 to 450 °C with radiation intensities from 0.01 to 2 Mrads/s. The observations indicate two regions of radiolytic decomposition with a transition zone at 350 to 400 °C. In the lower temperature region, G(decomposition) varied little with temperature, increased with linear energy transfer (l.e.t.), was independent of intensity, and yielded mainly high boiling products. Particular attention was given to the high temperature region, where G(decomposition) increased rapidly with temperature, was independent of l.e.t., was greater at low intensities than at high intensities, increased with increased pulse frequency for intermittent irradiation, and yielded a greater proportion of benzene and biphenyl. Thermally initiated reaction appeared unimportant except in the absence of radiation. A reaction sequence is given which accounts for these observations in terms of reactions of radical precursors and radicals of the cyclohexadienyl type. A chain reaction occurs in the higher temperature region.