Influence of Molecular Structure upon the Electric Strengths of Liquid Hydrocarbons

The electric strengths of straight-chain liquid alkanes are known to increase with increasing molecular chain length. The introduction of branches in the hydrocarbon chain, on the other hand, results in a reduction in strength. In an effort to gain a clearer understanding of this behavior, we have extended our investigations to include hydrocarbons of more complex molecular structure. In the present paper we present the results of a study of the influence of molecular structure upon the electric strengths of benzene and a series of alkyl benzenes. The strengths of those members in which the alkyl group is unbranched bear a nearly linear relationship to the molecular weight, not unlike that observed for the n alkanes. Furthermore, branching of the alkyl side chain again results in a decrease of electric strength. An attempt is made to interpret the results in terms of a simple model.