Optimization of the reaction of polychlorobiphenyls with a binucleophile by thermodynamic modeling

Abstract

The reaction of congeners of Sovol commercial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls with 2-aminoethanol in the presence of potassium hydroxide was studied. The results of thermodynamic modeling show that only hydroxy derivatives of polychlorobiphenyls should be formed. The optimum conditions for complete dechlorination of the congeners were determined: 1 atm, 170°С, molar ratio polychlorobiphenyls: 2-aminoethanol: potassium hydroxide = 1: 8: 6. The experimental data obtained using the theoretically chosen initial conditions for the reaction of polychlorobiphenyls with 2-aminoethanol show that the conversion increases from 82 to 96%.