TEXTILE CATALYSTS

        A perfectly pure olefin acid ester oxidises comparatively slowly . The rate of oxidation is influenced very greatly by the presence of catalysts and can be increased a millionfold in this way Almost all oils prepared from natural sources contain oxidising catalysts . The most powerful catalysts are compounds of those metals copying the lowest points on the atomic volume curve . Even I mole . ferric oleate per 10,000,000 moles . Ethyl oleate has a detectable effect on the mickey test .

When metallic catalysts ans fatty acids are both present their combined effect is very great. Exposure to light has also an important catalytic effect not altogether due to the formation of peroxides.
All catalysts seem to act primarily by greatly increasing the rate of peroxide formation. the author considers that metals act as activating agents and light and heat act be supplying activation energy fatty acids are known to be more easily activated than esters . In the case of metals if C is the metal compound and a the activation energy then C+a Ca : Ca + M to Ma + C: C+ a to Ca ,etc
In the case of light either the catalysts or the fatty acid ester may become activated directly I,e M+bv to Ma : C + bv to Ca.