Coke Formation on Metal Surfaces is a seminal volume in the ACS Symposium Series (Volume 202), published by the American Chemical Society in 1982. The book was edited by Lyle F. Albright of Purdue University and R. T. K. Baker of Exxon Research and Engineering Company.
Context and Content
The book is based on a symposium jointly sponsored by the ACS Divisions of Petroleum Chemistry and of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry at the 182nd Meeting of the American Chemical Society, held in August 1981. It comprises 318 pages and focuses on the latest research regarding coke formation through thermal and catalytic processes.
Key topics and research findings detailed in the volume include:
Mechanisms of Formation: Investigations into the growth of filamentous coke and the catalytic formation of deposits on various metals like nickel and stainless steel.
Surface Effects: The role of surface metallurgy and pretreatment—such as how oxidized surfaces promote coke production while sulfided surfaces can suppress it.
Precursor Studies: Comparative analysis of coke morphologies from different hydrocarbon precursors like acetylene, ethylene, butadiene, and propylene.
Analytical Techniques: The use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and EDAX (Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis) to characterize carbon deposit morphologies and understand the interfacial phenomena.
Industrial Impact: Discussion on how carbon deposition in pyrolysis tubes leads to reduced yields, decoking downtime, and mechanical issues like tube creep rupture.