Oxidation of cumene and its mixture with benzene by oxygen in the dielectric barrier discharge plasma
A. N. OCHERED’KO, A. V. LESHCHIK, A. YU. RYABOV, S. V. KUDRYASHOV
Institute of Petroleum Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
Keywords: plasma chemistry, dielectric barrier discharge, aromatics, benzene, cumene, oxidation
Abstract
The oxidation of cumene and its mixture with benzene by oxygen in the low-temperature barrier discharge plasma has been studied under the efficient removal of reaction products from the reactor, which makes it possible to avoid the deep oxidation of initial reagents and the formation of polymer deposits on reactor walls. Experiments were carried out in a setup with a plasmachemical reactor, under barrier discharge in the flow mode. The major products of cumene oxidation, namely acetophenone and dimethylphenylcarbinol, are formed with a total selectivity of up to 78 wt%. Cumene oxidation is not accompanied by the formation of phenol and its derivatives. Cumene conversion does not exceed 1.2 wt%. Oxidation of a mixture of cumene and benzene leads to the formation of cumene oxidation products (acetophenone and dimethylphenylcarbinol) along with the products of phenol oxidation (phenol and diphenols). It is shown that both aromatic hydrocarbons are oxidised independently in their mixture. Based on the research results and literature data, a probable mechanism of cumene oxidation in a barrier discharge is discussed and an attempt is made to simulate the process of its oxidation. The possibility to govern the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons in the low-temperature barrier discharge plasma by reactor temperature control is demonstrated.
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