Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.46, No.10, 3057-3062, 2007
Uncatalyzed oxidation of 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene with molecular oxygen
Cyclododecatriene was oxidized in liquid phase with molecular oxygen in a batch reactor, and the oxidation kinetics were studied under various reaction conditions. The reaction exhibits strong autocatalysis, thereby yielding epoxycyclododecadiene and cyclododecatryl hydroperoxide as oxidation products. The oxidation is found to exhibit strong selectivity toward epoxide. The batch kinetics were obtained and compared in glass and stainless steel reactors, and the effect of wall material on reaction rate and epoxide selectivity was explored. The kinetic data follows a first order autocatalytic rate equation, and the activation energy was determined and found to be higher for the steel reactor compared to the glass reactor.