Using Titration to Estimate Rate Law Parameters of the Reaction of Sodium Hydroxide and Ethyl Acetate

Abstract

Determination of rate expression and rate law parameters i.e. rate constant and reaction orders of any reaction is an important step to design any type of reactors. In this research rate law parameters of the reaction of sodium hydroxide and ethyl acetate were determined using titration to measure final concentration of the limited reactant which is sodium hydroxide in this reaction, while the reaction was carrying out i.e. simultaneously. The standard solution used in the titration is hydrochloric acid. The usefulness of this technique is that the concentration at the time of measuring would be read and registered. Thus, accurate results could be obtained. After the final concentration being measured, rate of reaction was calculated as the difference between initial concentration and final concentration dividing by time of reaction. Then by extrapolating two rates at two different initial concentrations to zero time initial rate was calculated. Finally, several initial rates at different initial concentrations of sodium hydroxide and ethyl acetate were used to determine the rate law parameters using linearized least squares analysis method. According to this method the value of rate constant is about 0.11 L/mol.sec at 32?C and the reaction is first order with respect to each reactant.