Catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons

The cracking of heavy hydrocarbons is one of the fundamental processes in the petrochemical industry. In this experiment a simple model of the reaction is presented, employing liquid paraffin as a source of heavy alkanes and crushed clay pots as the catalyst. The gaseous products are collected in test tubes over water. Then, it is demonstrated that the gas is composed of flammable hydrocarbons and that it contains unsaturated compounds.