Abstract
Chemical reactions of CO gas with copper(I)-tetrachloroaluminate(III)-aromatic hydrocarbon solutions, namely COSORB solutions, were investigated from the viewpoint of equilibrium and kinetics.
The equilibrium and the non-equilibrium amounts of CO dissolved into COSORB solutions were measured by using a batchwise gas-liquid contactor.
Equilibrium properties such as CO gas solubility constants or CO-complex stability constants for various solvent solutions were determined from the experimental data with the aid of the optimization technique. The solubility of CO decreased with temperature as well as with concentration of CuAlCl4. The stability constants were influenced by the π-electron releasing ability of the aromatic hydrocarbon molecule.
A rational reaction mechanism is proposed to explain the non-equilibrium rate data obtained experimentally. The reaction followed a unimolecular substitution mechanism and was determined to be exothermic. The COcomplex stability constant calculated from the optimum rate constant was in good agreement with the results of the equilibrium experiments.
