The kinetics of the reaction of carbon dioxide with phenyl glycidyl ether using Aliquat 336 as a catalyst in such nonaqueous solvents as toluene, N-methyl-2-pirrolidinone and dimethyl sulfoxide were studied using a stirred tank absorber with a plane gas-liquid interface at 358 and 0.1013 MPa. A mathematical model accompanied by a chemical absorption mechanism of carbon dioxide was presented to obtain the values of the rate parameters for which the predicted rate of absorption of CO2 matched the experimental value. The relationship between the rate parameter and the solubility parameter of the solvent was presented. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.