Alkaline Hydrolysis of TNT in Micellar System

The influence of micellar and Ca(OH)2 water system on the rates of alkaline hydrolysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied and evaluated quantitatively via capillary gas chromatography (CGC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The critical micelle concentrations and rate constants of reactions in the micellar phase were determined in micellar solutions of cationic, anionic or nonionic systems. An increase in the rates of alkaline hydrolysis of TNT was observed. Alkaline hydrolysis of TNT using mixture of nonionic surfactant micelles and anionic surfactant showed higher degradation than that with a cationic surfactant.