Acid-catalyzed oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by ammonium nitrate in aqueous solution
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was oxidized to CO{sub 2} and water by homogeneous, liquid-phase reaction with ammonium nitrate at temperatures between 250 and 450{degree}F and pressures below 100 psi. N{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O were produced from the thermal decomposition of the ammonium nitrate oxidant. An unexpected maximum in conversion was observed at an intermediate reaction temperature, which was consistent with rapid thermal decomposition of the NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3} oxidant. Postulated reaction pathways consisting of simultaneous oxidation of 2,4-D and decomposition of the oxidant allowed estimation of kinetic constants from best-fit analysis of the data. The proposed reaction model provided a mathematical description of 2,4-D conversion, which allowed extrapolation of the results to reaction conditions and reactor configurations that were not experimentally investigated.