The Progression of Sequential Reactions

Sequential reactions consist of linked reactions in which the product of the first reaction becomes the substrate of a second reaction. Sequential reactions occur in industrially important processes, such as the chlorination of methane. A generalized series of three sequential reactions was analyzed in order to determine the times at which each chemical species reaches its maximum. To determine the concentration of each species as a function of time, the differential rate laws for each species were solved. The solution of each gave the concentration curve of the chemical species. The concentration curves of species A1 and A2 possessed discreet maxima, which were determined through slope-analysis. The concentration curve of the final product, A3, did not possess a discreet maximum, but rather approached a finite limit.