Kinetics of the Reaction of Solid Anhydrous Potassium Carbonate with Gaseous Sulfur Dioxide

Abstract

Results are presented of an experimental kinetic study of the heterogeneous reaction between gaseous sulfur dioxide and solid anhydrous potassium carbonate. The measurements were carried out in an all glass kinetic flow apparatus with nitrogen as the carrier gas and a fixed bed of the solid working in the differential regime at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 423 K (150 °C). The reaction course was studied in dependence on the partial pressures of sulfur dioxide (pSO2) and water vapour (pH2O) in concentration ranges pSO2 = 13 - 430 Pa and pH2O = 0 - 2 100 Pa. In the reaction, water vapour acts as a gaseous catalyst. Based on the experimental data, the corresponding kinetic equation was found together with the numerical values of the relevant rate and equilibrium adsorption constants.