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Return to Abstracts of Literature 1750-1999

Literature Abstracts

 1959.    KOMAREWSKY, V. I., RIESZ, C. H., AND THODOS, G.  Aromatization of Fatty Alcohols.  Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 61, 1939, pp. 2525-2527; Chem. Abs., vol. 33, 1939, p. 8580.

        Under the action of a mixed CrO₃-Al₂O₃ catalyst, fatty alcohols undergo a complex reaction involving dehydration, Al₂O₃, dehydrogenation and cyclization, CrO₃, producing aromatic hydrocarbons.  It is proposed to name this type of mixed catalysts complex-action catalysts.  The reaction of aromatization is of the first order and formula, K=2.303/t log a1, a-x, where t is time, a the amount taken into the reaction and x the amount of product in %, can be applied.  The energies of activation are calculated.  Heptyl alcohol at 450° gives 7.8% of PhMe and at 500° 58-66% PhMe, calculated from n²⁵_D and from H₂ of the gases evolved, Pr₂CHOH at 468° gives about 7% and at 480° about 13% PhMe; hexyl alcohol at 467° gives 38% and at 500° 38% PhMe; octyl alcohol at 475° gives 3% PhMe, 4.5% PhEt, 7% of the xylenes, and 32.7% of higher boiling aromatics.  The gases evolved consist of O₂, CO, CO₂, and H₂.  A table gives the amount of alcohol dehydrated, dehydrogenated, and cyclized.