Petroleum Chemistry, Vol.42, No.4, 277-279, 2002
Oxidation of cumene in a hydrocarbon foam
A procedure was developed for preparing a hydrocarbon foam stabilized by a composition based on a mixture of anionic and cationic surfactants with copper sulfate as an additive. The reaction kinetics of cumene oxidation with dioxygen in the liquid and foam hydrocarbon phases were studied. It was shown that the principal products of the reaction in both cases are dimethylphenylcarbinol and acetophenone; however, the oxidation rate could be substantially increased by frothing the reaction system.