ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX-REACTION NETWORKS IN GAS-LIQUID SYSTEMS - THE OZONATION OF 2-HYDROXYPYRIDINE IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

The ozonation of aqueous solutions of 2-hydroxypyridine is experimentally studied in a mechanically stirred batch reactor, and the reaction mechanism is assessed on the basis of chemical arguments. A mathematical model is developed that includes a complex reaction network and a description of the ozone transfer from the gas to the liquid in terms of pseudoreactions. The model is compared with the experimental data to assess its domain of validity, i.e., the range of initial concentration and stirrer speed in which the different causes of error are reduced to a negligible extent. In this range, the best estimate values of the unknown parameters (rate constants and coefficient of mass transfer) are computed. The behavior of the mass-transfer coefficient is discussed as a function of the initial concentration and of the stirrer speed, thus giving some insight on the interaction between mass transfer and chemical reaction in gas-liquid systems.