Kinetic study of oxidation of trichloroethylene by potassium permanganate

The kinetics of oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by potassium permangan ate (KMnO4) was investigated in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 7 and ion ic strength (I) of 0.05 M at three different temperatures (10, 15, and 20 d egrees C), The results indicate that the oxidation of TCE by KMnO4 at a con stant pH and temperature may be modeled as an irreversible second-order (fi rst-order individually with respect to KMnO4 and TCE) reaction. The second- order rate constant and the activation energy, determined using the initial rate method for the reaction between TCE and KMnO4, were 0.89 +/- 0.03 M(- 1)s(-1) and 35 +/- 2.9 kJ/mol, respectively. The results of this study also confirmed the assumed reaction stoichiometry, i.e., 2 mol of KMnO4 are req uired for the mineralization of 1 mol of TCE.