The kinetics of thermal isomerization of β-pinene and a mixture of β- and α-pinenes in supercritical ethanol

Thermal isomerization of β-pinene and equimolar mixture of α- and β-pinenes in supercritical ethanol was studied experimentally. The reactivity of structurally similar α- and β-pinenes were compared in the same supercritical solvent. It was shown that both pinenes undergo thermal transformations independently of one another upon co-thermolysis in supercritical (SC) ethanol. Conversion of α-pinene yields monocyclic limonene as the main product, and β-pinene gives acyclic β-myrcene. This study allowed developing the first kinetic model of β-pinene thermolysis in SC ethanol.