Abstract The kinetics of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene to 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid catalyzed by Cobalt-Manganese-Bromide in liquid phase was studied. The intermediates were analyzed and the oxidation reaction network was established. The hyperbolic kinetic model was proposed and the effects of reactant concentration, temperature and catalyst content on the reaction rate were investigated. Based on the experimental data, the kinetic parameters and the activation energy data of each step were fitted. The results showed that the hyperbolic kinetic model could well describe the reaction process, and the calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental data. The liquid phase oxidation of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene was a typical cascade reaction. The two methyl groups were successively oxidized to formacyl and carboxyl groups. The reaction of 2-formyl-6-naphthoic acid to 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid was the rating-limiting step in the whole series reactions.
