Reactions of antioxidants with molecular oxygen. Part III: Influence of phenolic stabiliser structures on their oxidation in an inert matrix

The oxidation of five different phenolic antioxidants in inert substrates has been investigated varying the temperature and oxygen pressure conditions. The stabiliser consumption in this reaction has been quantified by steric exclusion chromatography. The tendency of the variation of the residual antioxidant concentration with exposure time in the presence of oxygen shows a simple apparent first order process in all cases. The kinetic parameters were determined applying this simple kinetic model. The influence of structural characteristics of stabilisers under study on kinetic parameters of the direct reaction with the oxygen has been analysed. On the other hand, the information obtained about reaction products generated for each antioxidant helped us to explain the results obtained.