A simplified kinetics model of natural and iron complex catalysed hydrogen peroxide oxidation of starch

Hydrogen peroxide is well known as one of environmentally benign reagents for the oxidation of starch. The aim of this work was to develop a simplified model for the describing of mass transfer and reaction kinetics phenomena of non-catalytic and iron complex catalysed starch oxidation using hydrogen peroxide under alkaline condition. The model was composed based on hydrogen peroxide consumptions for its decomposition and reaction with starch molecules as well as mass transfer between liquid-solid reactants. Effects of starch-water ratio (S/L), catalyst concentration and pH were evaluated. The results show that both non-catalytic and iron complex catalysed hydrogen peroxide starch oxidation follows pseudo-first-order reaction with respect to hydrogen peroxide concentration. The proposed model satisfactorily describes the overall reaction, where very good agreement with experimental data was obtained. Mass transfer between liquid-solid reactants was likely to be the controlling step for the iron complex catalysed starch oxidation using hydrogen peroxide. (c) 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.