ABSTRACT
In principle, both ions of the parent salt and acid and base molecules formed from them can participate in the elementary stages o f thermal decomposition. However, as a rule, the decomposition rate of onium salts is higher by several orders o f magnitude than this rate for the corresponding salts o f metals or salts on the basis o f N H 3 and a stable acid (for instance, H 2 S 0 4 ) . The decomposition rates of the ions forming the salt are too low. The formation o f radicals by means of electron transfer from an anion to cation in onium salts has a high energetic barrier. A s a rule, such salts have a proton but not electron conductivity. Hence, we can neglect the contribution o f radicals in thermal decomposition. Thus, thermal decomposition o f onium salts occurs through the thermal transformations o f acid and base molecules formed in equilibria (11.1.1).
