The kinetics of the oxidation of As(III) with oxygen in alkaline solutions in the presence of Cu(II) was studied. The oxidation reaction of As(III) proceeds via two different paths; one is independent of pO2, while the other is dependent on pO2. The former path is influenced by the concentration of alkali, showing the suppressed tendency with the increase in alkali concentration. On the other hand, the latter path is independent of the concentration of alkali. The dependences of the two paths on the concentration of Cu(II) appeared to be different from each other.The experimental rate equation was found to be(This article is not displayable. Please see full text pdf.) \ oindentThe apparent activation energy is 105.3 kJ·mol−1 for the former path and 21.3 kJ·mol−1 for the latter path. The reaction rate is affected by presence of alkali in the solution, exhibiting an accelerating tendency according to the sequence of LiOH<NaOH<KOH.
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