| Summary: | Includes bibliography. === A composition of thermally oxidised Fischer-Tropsch hard wax was proposed based on a study ofthe oxidation products of model compounds, n-Cl6, n-C24 and n-C32. The model compound oxidation yielded isomers of alcohols and ketones with carbon numbers ranging from 2 to the same carbon number as that of the parent hydrocarbon, lactones ranging from carbon 6 to two less than the carbon number equal to that of the highest parent hydrocarbon, acids having carbon numbers ranging from two up to two less than the parent hydrocarbon and straight chain esters in low concentration having molecular mass similar to or higher than the parent hydrocarbon. Only methyl, ethyl and propyl esters of acids with carbon number similar to the parent hydrocarbon, were identified. Oxidised Fischer-Tropsch hard wax was distilled and the distillate was found to contain similar products to those of the model compounds. No 'new' products were detected which indicated that the same mechanism is occurred in the Fischer-Tropsch oxidation with the production of similar oxidation products as for the model compound oxidation. Fractionation of oxidised Fischer-Tropsch wax and the analyses of the fractions using IR, DSC and HTGC techniques verified the proposed composition of thermally oxidised Fischer-Tropsch hard wax. The most important conclusion that can be drawn from the research done for this dissertation is that none of the analytical results refuted the proposed composition of thermally oxidised Fischer-Tropsch hard wax.
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