Activity coefficient of solids

The case of binary solid-liquid equilibrium permits one to focus on liquid-phase nonidealities because the activity coefficient of solid component ij, Yjj, equals unity. Aselage et al. (148) investigated the liquid-solution behavior in the well-characterized Ga-Sb and In-Sb systems. The availability of a thermodynamically consistent data base (measurements of liquidus, component activity, and enthalpy of mixing) provided the opportunity to examine a variety of solution models. Little difference was found among seven models in their ability to fit the combined data base, although asymmetric models are expected to perform better in some systems. 

The activity coefficient has to be estimated for nonideal solutions. There is no general method for predicting activity coefficients of solid solutes in liquid solvents. For nonpolar solutes and solvents, however, a reasonable estimate can frequently be made with the regular solution theory, or the Scatchard-Hildebrand relation. 

Generally, the activity coefficients are < 1 when polar interactions are important, with a resulting increase in solubility of compounds compared with the ideal solubility. The opposite is often true in nonpolar systems where dispersion forces are important, with the activity coefficients being > 1. A variety of methods are used to calculate activity coefficients of solid solutes in solution. A frequently used method is that of Scatchard-Hildebrand, which is also known as regular solution theory (Prausnitz et al. 1999). 

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