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5176277 
Journal Article 
The catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of o-tolualdehyde 
Vrbaški, T; Mathews, WK 
1966 
Yes 
Journal of Catalysis
ISSN: 0021-9517
EISSN: 1090-2694 
5 
125-134 
A study was made of the oxidation of o-tolualdehyde over fused vanadium oxide from 360° to 460° in a flow system. The reaction course consists of four parallel routes: (1) the stepwise oxidation of o-tolualdehyde to phthalic anhydride via o-toluic acid and phthalide intermediates; (2) the direct oxidation to phthalic anhydride; (3) the formation of carbon oxides from intermediate maleic anhydride; and (4) the direct oxidation to carbon oxides. The activation energy for the over-all reaction (disappearance) of o-tolualdehyde is 24.7 kcal/mole in the range 370° to 415° and the reaction order is 0.97 with respect to the concentration of o-tolualdehyde. The rate of oxidation shows a square root dependence on the oxygen concentration below 0.2 atm. The Hinshelwood treatment suggests that steady state conditions are established on the catalyst surface.