KINETICS OF LIQUID-PHASE AIR OXIDATION OF 2,6-DI-TERT-BUTYLPHENOL

The kinetics of absorption of oxygen in ethanolic solution of 2,6-di-t ert-butylphenol was studied, in a glass as well as a pressurised react or operated as a stirred cell with a flat gas-liquid interface, in the temperature range 323-343 K, with cuprammonium acetate as catalyst. T he operating conditions could be manipulated for the system to fall in different controlling regimes by varying the concentration of 2,6-di- tert-butylphenol and catalyst and the partial pressure of oxygen. The absorption of oxygen, under certain conditions, was found to be accomp anied by fast pseudo-zero-order reaction in the diffusion film. The re action was found to be second-order in 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol. The me asured values of true liquid side mass transfer coefficient and interf acial area, in a mechanically agitated reactor with gas dispersed in l iquid, were typically 7.8 x 10(-4) m/s and 216 m2/m3, respectively.