Experimental determination of the kinetic rate law for the oxidation of perchloroethylene by potassium permanganate

Flushing soils contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethyl ene (PCE) with a permanganate (MnO4-) solution has been shown to reduce the solvent content of the soil. Experiments were performed to quantify the ra te at which KMnO4 oxidizes aqueous solutions of PCE over a range of concent rations. In a series of homogeneous reactors, aqueous phase PCE concentrati ons were monitored over time in nine experimental trials with excess oxidan t concentrations ranging from 5 to 30 g/l. Analysis of the data was perform ed to quantify the oxidation reaction order with respect to PCE and KMnO4 a nd the reaction rate constant. The reaction between PCE and KMnO4 was deter mined to be first-order with respect to both PCE and KMnO4 with an overall specific reaction rate coefficient of 2.45 +/- 0.65 M-1 min(-1). (C) 2000 E lsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.