THE ROLE OF REACTION PRODUCTS IN THE SILVER-CATALYZED OXIDATION OF ETHYLENE

Abstract

Initial-rate studies of the kinetics of the silver-catalyzed oxidation of ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide in a flow system have been made. It was found that, using carefully purified reactants, the effect of added carbon dioxide was to suppress the formation of ethylene oxide only. The initial rate of the formation of ethylene oxide is given by the equation[Formula: see text]where r0 is the initial rate in the absence of CO2; m, n, and k are constants with m + n = 1.These results together with the results of oxygen exchange reactions between O18 and C2H4O16, CO216 and H2O16 are interpreted mechanistically.