The decomposition of oxalic acid vapor at 0.9 mm. pressure has been studied over the range 127-157'.The only products found are equimolar quantities of carbon dioxide and formic acid, and the kinetics of the decomposition are first order with respect to oxalic acid. The observed hrrhenius parameters are: E = 30.0 f 1.3 kcal. mole-', and log ( A , see. -I) == 11.9 =t 0.7. 'The LLlow-iiorinal" pre-exponential factor, modest activation energy, and tentative evidence for absence of a major free-radical component to the mechanism are viewed as supporting assumption of a uniniolecular mechanism via a cyclic activated complex. Comparison is made to results on the solution decomposition.
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