Kinetics of α-pinene enantiomeric isomerization over clinoptilolite Original Research Article

Kinetics of the liquid-phase isomerization of enantioisomers of α-pinene using natural clinoptilolite was investigated. The experimental ranges of temperature and pressure (N2) were T = 120–160°C and P = 1–10 bars, respectively. Initially, mainly camphene and limonene were produced; the ratio of enantiomers corresponded to the ratio of +/− isomers in α-pinene. At relatively high conversions other monocyclic (terpinene and terpinolene) and tricyclic products (tricyclene) were formed. A kinetic model is developed which described the experimental data well.