Abstract:
This project is focussed on the thermsLl decomposition of
t-butyl hydroperoxide and sec-butyl hydroperoxide at 120°C to
160°C in three alcohol solvents. These are methanol, ethajiol
and isopropyl alcohol.
The aim of the project was to examine the process of induced
decomposition. Thermal decomposition of t-hutyl hydroperoxide
and sec-butyl hydroperoxide indicate that these reactions have
first-order kinetics with activation energies on the order of
20 to 28 K cal/mole,
Styrene was used as a free radical trap to inhibit the induced
decomposition. The results permitted calculation of how much
induced decomposition occurred in its absence. The experimental
resvilts indicate that the induced decomposition is important for
t-butyl hydroperoxide in alcohol solvents, as shown by both the
reaction rate suid product studies. But sec-butyl hydroperoxide
results show that the concerted mechanism for the interaction of
two sec-butylperoxy radicals occurs in addition to the induced
decomposition.
Di-sodium E.D,T.A. was added to reduce possible effects of
trace transition metal ion .impurities. The result of this
experiment were not as expected. The rate of hydroperoxide
decomposition was about the same but was zero-order in hydroperoxide
concentration.
