Calculations are performed to determine ionization potentials and wave parameters for different types of bonds, which allows the minimum time of activation of hydrocarbons containing those bonds to be calculated as well. Results are presented from a study of the effect of the parameters of electromagnetic radiation on the yields of products in the thermal cracking of non-hydrofined oil sludge. The results were used to construct the first mathematical models that make it possible to both interpolate and extrapolate the parameters of the sludge-cracking operation.