KINETICS OF THE THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF ETHYL PROPIONATE

Abstract

The pyrolysis of ethyl propionate has been studied in the temperature range 505–602 °C, yielding the Arrhenius equation[Formula: see text]By the copyrolysis of this compound with ethyl-d5 acetate at 384 and 488 °C, and comparison of this temperature coefficient with that for the isotopic ethyl acetates, an activation energy difference between ethyl acetate and propionate of 20 ± 65 cal/mole was found, rather than 500 cal/mole as indicated in the individual studies. Since other evidence exists for an inductive effect in the decomposition due to the acid alkyl group, the lack of difference in activation energies is attributed to the change in effect being small and obscured by other effects.