The rate of the homogeneous exothermic hydrolysis reaction of acetic anhydride catalyzed by sulfuric acid in solvent acetic acid was estimated from nonisothermal experimental batch reactor transient temperature data. Rate equations based on three different reaction mechanisms of hydrolysis published in the literature were fitted to the experimental rate data. The experimental results on runaway and limit cycle behavior obtained with this reaction were explained by using the mechanism-based rate equations for hydrolysis in the reactor dynamic models, and good agreement was obtained between the predicted and the experimental dynamic data.