The thermal decomposition of copper(i1) oxalate has been studied under vacuum using a constant-volume apparatus and a microbalance; and under dynamic atmospheres of air, nitrogen and oxygen using thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The decomposition was found to proceed to copper metal under an inert atmosphere and vacuum; while in air and oxygen, copper(ii) oxide was found to be the decomposition product. In each case the decomposition was found to be exothermic with an enthalpy change of -9 & 2 kJ mol-' in nitrogen and -134 & 5 kJ mol-' in air. Isothermal kinetic analysis showed the data to fit an Avrami-Erofeev relationship with n = 3 in each case. Arrhenius parameters are reported for each decomposition atmosphere and are compared to those of other transition-metal oxalates which appear in the literature.The presence of a preparation effect is noted, as seen with other oxysalts; however, no evidence for the formation of copper(i) oxalate has been found which has previously been speculated to be an intermediate in the decomposition.
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