Application of a modified rate equation to the acetylation of wood

Abstract

A modified rate equation, in which the diffusion of reagent was taken into consideration, was proposed and applied to results reported previously for the acetylation of wood. The equation was fitted more successfully to the prolonged as well as the early stage of the reaction than a common first-order rate equation. Although the conclusions were virtually unchanged, the reliability was enhanced because reaction parameters such as the rate constant, ultimate extent of the reaction, and activation energy calculated for the modified equation were based on much more data than those reported previously. The equation proposed here may be applicable not only to acetylation but to other chemical modifications of cellulosic materials in heterogeneous systems.