Hydrolysis is defined as the chemical process where a substance reacts with water. Hydrolysis has many advantages for use in the cleanup of hazardous chemicals. First, it is a naturally occurring mechanism. Second, the principle reagent in the reaction is water. Water is the most widely occurring compound found on earth. Its unique properties such as being able to act as an acid or a base make this compound important to our everyday existence.
The half life of a hydrolysis reaction is defined as the time it takes for half of the substance to react. The equation for the hydrolysis half life is given below:
t1/2 = 0.693 / k
where t1/2 is the hydrolysis half life and k is the first order rate constant for the reaction. This equation is the same equation used for all half life reactions.
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