Abstract: Two primary alkyl peroxyacetates (n-butyl and isobutyl) and two secondary peroxyacetates (sec-butyl and cyclohexyl) were prepared and their liquid and gas-phase decomposition rates and products compared with those of tert-butyl peroxyacetate. Thermal, liquid-phase, decompositions of the primary and secondary peroxy esters, either pure, in chlorobenzene solution, or in a-methylstyrene solution, yielded mainly acetic acid and the ...