Studying the Kinetic Laws of the Liquid-Phase Oxidation of sec-Butylbenzene in the Presence of N-Hydroxyphthalimide

The kinetic laws of the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of sec-butylbenzene to the respective tertiary hydroperoxide in the presence of N-hydroxyphthalimide as a catalyst have been studied. The effect of temperature, reaction duration, and catalyst content on the sec-butylbenzene oxidation rate has been studied. Based on the experimental data obtained, a kinetic (mathematical) model of the studied process, which adequately describes the change in the concentration of the main components during reaction, has been compiled. Numerical values of rate constants of the main stages of the process have been calculated. It has been found that the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide in the sec-butylbenzene oxidation process provides an increase in the oxidation rate and hydrocarbon conversion, while maintaining the high sec-butylbenzene hydroperoxide selectivity.