Biacetyl vapors have been decomposed by radiation of wavehyphen;length 2537A in a flow system. The total amount of decomposition was determined by collection and analysis of the gaseous products. The amount of methyl radical formed was determined by allowing the products to pass over and react with lead mirrors. The amount of lead transported establishes the maximum quantity of methyl formed assuming a ratio of CH3to Pb of 4:1. The data show that approximately one methyl group is released for every two or three molecules of carbon monoxide in the products and consequently that about half of the total reaction proceeds without the primary formation of free radicals. A Spence and Wild type of reaction scheme will explain both the analytical data and observations on fluorescence.
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