Decomposition into radicals and chain decomposition of N-butyl- and ethylacetamide hydroperoxides in n-butylacetamide medium

1. n-Butylacetamide (HPNBAA) and ethylacetamide (HPEAA) hydroperoxides in n-butylacetamide medium (NBAA) thermally decompose into free radicals at similar rates according to the equation vi=kui1[ROOH]/ [NBAA] + ki2[ROOH]2. Rapid formation of radicals was found in the o-dichlorobenzene-ROOH-NBAA system. 2. Overall decomposition of HPNBAA and HPEAA in an inert atmosphere takes place primarily as radical-induced decomposition of ROOH, and the rate when [NBAA] ≥ 3.4 mole/liter obeys the equation vd=kd· [ROOH]. A diagram of the chain process which explains this dependence and the composition of the products of oxidation was proposed, and the rate constant of the reaction of the alkyl radicals in NBAA with ROOH was estimated. Of the inhibitors of free-radical processes studied,α-naphthol was not effective in inhibition of chain decomposition of hydroperoxides above 387°K.