An improved chemical model for the quantitative description of the front propagation in the tetrathionate-chlorite reaction

It is experimentally proven that the stoichiometry of the tetrathionate-chlorite reaction is 2S(4)O(6)(2-) + 81/2ClO(2)(-) + 6H(2)O = 8SO(4)(2-) + ClO3- + 71/2Cl(-) + 12H(+) near 1 : 4 molar ratio of the reactants. Re-evaluation of the previously measured front velocity-concentration curves also shows that this stoichiometry along with both the rate equation r = ( 1.6 x 10(5) M-3 s(-1) [H+](2) + 3.6 x 10(7) M-4 s(-1) [H+](3))[(SO62-)-O-4][ClO2-] and the protonation processes existing in the present system allow us to describe the front velocity as a function of the initial concentration of the reactants quantitatively. Some consequences detailed in the conclusions may concern not only uniquely the tetrathionate-chlorite reaction but any front propagation study including H+ as an autocatalyst.