The thermal decomposition of acetic acid

Abstract

The homogeneous gas-phase thermal decomposition of acetic acid has been studied in a static system between 460 and 595°C and at pressures up to 1 atmosphere. A second-order decomposition to keten and water occurs simultaneously with a first-order process yielding methane and carbon dioxide, the respective Arrhenius equations being k= 10^8·45exp(–34,200/RT) l.mole^–1 sec.^–1 and k= 10^11·12exp(–58,500/RT) sec.^–1. The decarboxylation is similar to that previously reported in flow work at 770–920° but the dehydration processes are quite different. In the static system it closely resembles dehydration in formic and propionic acids.