Methyl oleate was oxidized at 60°C at free access of air in presence of varying amounts of copper(II)-chloride. Changes of hydroperoxides followed equation (V): . The relationships between the two reaction rate constants and the concentration of copper(I1)ions are best expressed by hyperbolic equations (VII) and VIII, respectively: . The relation between the concentration of copper and the time necessary to attain the maximum rate of increase of the hydroperoxide content was hyperbolic as well. The rate of the hydroperoxide formation increases thus with the increasing content of copper chloride but the rate of hydroperoxide decomposition becomes still more rapid at the same time so that the accumulation of hydroperoxides is inhibited in case of extremely high concentrations of copper.
