High-pressure thermolysis of sulfate turpentine

Thermolysis of sulfate turpentine was studied in the pressure range of 40–280 atm. The conversion kinetics of main turpentine components (α-pinene, 3-carene) and their isomerization products (limonene, alloocimenes, pyronenes) was investigated and compared with the conversion kinetics of these compounds in supercritical ethanol. Thermodynamic parameters Δ H ¯ # , Δ S ¯ # and Δ G ¯ # of the reversible reaction “α-pinene-[TS]” were estimated, the observed discrepancies being interpreted in the context of transition state theory. The thermolysis rate of α-pinene as a turpentine component was compared to that in a supercritical diluted solution of ethanol versus pressure. The rate of α-pinene conversion was shown to depend on the density of working medium.