Kinetics of Acid-cataiysed Resorcinol-Formaldehyde Reaction

Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi-110 007

Manuscript received 12 July 1984, revised 22 April 1985, accepted 11 September 1985

A kinetic study of the reaction of resorcinol with formaldehyde has been carried out at temperatures 65, 70, 75 and 80° using hydrochloric acid as catalyst. The pH was maintained at 2.15, 2.38, 2.75 and 3.20. The rate is found to increase with the decrease in pH of the reaction. The reaction follows an overall second order rate kinetics. The overall rate constant has been resolved Into the step rate constants. The Arrhenius parameters for the overall reaction and also for the step reactions have been calculated. A comparative study of the overall second order rate constant for resorcinol-formaldehyde reaction has been made with those of overall second order rate constant for phenol-formaldehyde and p-cresol-formaldehyde reaction in order to establish the effect of substituents on the rate of the reaction.