| Abstract: | The kinetics of addition reactions between methyl α-eleostearate which forms the main chain of tung oil and cresols when catalyzed by an acid, p-toluene sulfonic acid, have been studied. The addition reactions, carried out with any one of the o-, m-, and p-cresols were shown to be first order with regard to both methyl α-eleostearate and cresol concentrations. The reactions were additions of two cresol molecules to one methyl α-eleostearate molecule, and it was presumed that they proceed in the two steps given below in which the first step in rate-determining.  (1)  (2) (E: methyl/α-eleostearate, C: cresols) The apparent reaction rate constants (L/mol min) were found to be 0.046 for o-cresol, 0.038 for m-cresol, and 0.033 for p-cresol. The apparent activation energies (kcal/mol) were found to be 0.95, 3.66, and 4.05, in the cases of o-, m-, and p-cresols, respectively. |
