Wet oxidation of glucose

Wet oxidation is used to oxidize organic substances at a controlled rate in an aqueous medium at elevated temperatures and pressures. Aqueous glucose solutions were oxidized with pure oxygen at four different temperatures in the range 176.7°C to 260.0°C, and at an oxygen pressure of 2.3 MPa. Three distinct stages of wet oxidation were found — induction, rapid oxidation, and slow oxidation. During the rapid oxidation period the reaction was assumed to be confined to a thin liquid layer next to the gas‐liquid interface. The activation energy for the rapid oxidation period was estimated to be 130 ± 20 kJ/mol. Acetic acid was found to accelerate the rate of wet oxidation of glucose only slightly.