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6108185 
Journal Article 
Thermal Decomposition of Hydrocarbons 
Speight, JG; Speight, JG 
2011 
Gulf Professional Publishing 
Boston 
Handbook of Industrial Hydrocarbon Processes 
395-428 
WOS:000323512200012 
Publisher Summary Hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon fuels (gas, liquid, and solid) are one of the Earth's most important energy resources. Hydrocarbon mixtures are produced in refineries by distillation from natural gas petroleum and natural gas as well as by thermal cracking of higher boiling predominantly hydrocarbon fractions. The individual hydrocarbons differ both in the total number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in their molecules and in the proportion of hydrogen to carbon, and can be divided into various homologous series. Each member of such a series shows a definite relationship in its structural formula to the members preceding and following it, and there is generally some regularity in changes in physical properties of successive members of a series. The alkanes are a homologous series of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. The first and simplest member of this series is methane; the series is sometimes called the methane series. 
Speight, James G.