Dilution activity coefficients

Finally it should be emphasized that to obtain unbiased activity values in samples, all operations affecting the activity coefficients (dilution, changes in the composition) must be avoided. 

An electrolyte solution which is not in equilibrium is exposed to generalized forces that are responsible for irreversible processes, such as transport or relaxation processes. A gradient of the chemical potential of the considered ions is the source of such a force, producing a particle flow that leads to diffusion and to electric conductance. Neglecting activity coefficients (dilute solutions) the flow of ion i is given by the relation (with the convection term omitted)... 

Activity-coefficient data at infinite dilution often provide an excellent method for obtaining binary parameters as shown, for example, by Eclcert and Schreiber (1971) and by Nicolaides and Eckert (1978). Unfortunately, such data are rare. 

Figure 4-11. Activity coefficients for noncondensable solutes at infinite dilution.

Table 3 shows results obtained from a five-component, isothermal flash calculation. In this system there are two condensable components (acetone and benzene) and three noncondensable components (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane). Henry s constants for each of the noncondensables were obtained from Equations (18-22) the simplifying assumption for dilute solutions [Equation (17)] was also used for each of the noncondensables. Activity coefficients for both condensable components were calculated with the UNIQUAC equation. For that calculation, all liquid-phase composition variables are on a solute-free basis the only required binary parameters are those for the acetone-benzene system. While no experimental data are available for comparison, the calculated results are probably reliable because all simplifying assumptions are reasonable the... 

GAMMA calculates activity coefficients for N components (N 20) at system temperature. For noncondensable components effective infinite-dilution activity coefficients are calculated. 

Activity coefficients for condensable components are calculated with the UNIQUAC Equation (4-15)/ and infinite-dilution activity coefficients for noncondensable components are calculated with Equation (4-22). ... 

Debye-Hiickel theory The activity coefficient of an electrolyte depends markedly upon concentration. Jn dilute solutions, due to the Coulombic forces of attraction and repulsion, the ions tend to surround themselves with an atmosphere of oppositely charged ions. Debye and Hiickel showed that it was possible to explain the abnormal activity coefficients at least for very dilute solutions of electrolytes. 

Derive the equation of state, that is, the relationship between t and a, of the adsorbed film for the case of a surface active electrolyte. Assume that the activity coefficient for the electrolyte is unity, that the solution is dilute enough so that surface tension is a linear function of the concentration of the electrolyte, and that the electrolyte itself (and not some hydrolyzed form) is the surface-adsorbed species. Do this for the case of a strong 1 1 electrolyte and a strong 1 3 electrolyte. 

The situation for electrolyte solutions is more complex theory confimis the limiting expressions (originally from Debye-Htickel theory), but, because of the long-range interactions, the resulting equations are non-analytic rather than simple power series.) It is evident that electrolyte solutions are ideally dilute only at extremely low concentrations. Further details about these activity coefficients will be found in other articles. 

The Debye-Htickel limiting law predicts a square-root dependence on the ionic strength/= MTLcz of the logarithm of the mean activity coefficient (log y ), tire heat of dilution (E /VI) and the excess volume it is considered to be an exact expression for the behaviour of an electrolyte at infinite dilution. Some experimental results for the activity coefficients and heats of dilution are shown in figure A2.3.11 for aqueous solutions of NaCl and ZnSO at 25°C the results are typical of the observations for 1-1 (e.g.NaCl) and 2-2 (e.g. ZnSO ) aqueous electrolyte solutions at this temperature. 

Investigations of the solubilities of aromatic compounds in concentrated and aqueous sulphuric acids showed the activity coefficients of nitrocompounds to behave unusually when the nitro-compound was dissolved in acid much more dilute than required to effect protonation. This behaviour is thought to arise from changes in the hydrogenbonding of the nitro group with the solvent. 

If the mutual solubilities of the solvents A and B are small, and the systems are dilute in C, the ratio ni can be estimated from the activity coefficients at infinite dilution. The infinite dilution activity coefficients of many organic systems have been correlated in terms of stmctural contributions (24), a method recommended by others (5). In the more general case of nondilute systems where there is significant mutual solubiUty between the two solvents, regular solution theory must be appHed. Several methods of correlation and prediction have been reviewed (23). The universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) equation has been recommended (25), which uses binary parameters to predict multicomponent equihbria (see Eengineering, chemical DATA correlation). 

Eor given biaary pair, two-phase behavior likely when infinite dilution activity coefficient of either component ia other component is >7.5. 

The quantitative relationship between the degree of adsorption at a solution iaterface (7), G—L or L—L, and the lowering of the free-surface energy can be deduced by usiag an approximate form of the Gibbs adsorption isotherm (eq. 9), which is appHcable to dilute biaary solutions where the activity coefficient is unity and the radius of curvature of the surface is not too great ... 

Experimentally deterrnined equiUbrium constants are usually calculated from concentrations rather than from the activities of the species involved. Thermodynamic constants, based on ion activities, require activity coefficients. Because of the inadequacy of present theory for either calculating or determining activity coefficients for the compHcated ionic stmctures involved, the relatively few known thermodynamic constants have usually been obtained by extrapolation of results to infinite dilution. The constants based on concentration have usually been deterrnined in dilute solution in the presence of excess inert ions to maintain constant ionic strength. Thus concentration constants are accurate only under conditions reasonably close to those used for their deterrnination. Beyond these conditions, concentration constants may be useful in estimating probable effects and relative behaviors, and chelation process designers need to make allowances for these differences in conditions. 

Terminal activity coefficients, 7°, are noted in Figure 3. These are often called infinite dilution coefficients and for some systems are given in Table 1. The hexane—heptane mixture is included as an example of an ideal system. As the molecular species become more dissimilar they are prone to repel each other, tend toward liquid immiscihility, and have large positive activity coefficients, as in the case of hexane—water. 

Henry s law is useful for handling equiUbria associated with gas absorption (qv) and stripping problems. Henry s law coefficients are useful for estimating terminal activity coefficients and have been tabulated for many compounds in dilute aqueous solutions (27). 

Hquid-phase activity coefficient (eq. 6) terminal activity coefficient, at infinite dilution constant in Wilson activity coefficient model (eq. 13)... 

Fiend s Constant. Henry s law for dilute concentrations of contaminants ia water is often appropriate for modeling vapor—Hquid equiHbrium (VLE) behavior (47). At very low concentrations, a chemical s Henry s constant is equal to the product of its activity coefficient and vapor pressure (3,10,48). Activity coefficient models can provide estimated values of infinite dilution activity coefficients for calculating Henry s constants as a function of temperature (35—39,49). 

For low miscibility, the solubiHty of a substance in water is often estimated as the inverse of the chemical s infinite dilution activity coefficient ... 

Once the composition of each equiHbrium phase is known, infinite dilution activity coefficients for a third component ia each phase can then be calculated. The octanol—water partition coefficient is directly proportional to the ratio of the infinite dilution activity coefficients for a third component distributed between the water-rich and octanol-rich phases (5,24). The primary drawback to the activity coefficient approach to estimation is the difficulty of the calculations involved, particularly when the activity coefficient model is complex. 

A sampling of appHcations of Kamlet-Taft LSERs include the following. (/) The Solvatochromic Parameters for Activity Coefficient Estimation (SPACE) method for infinite dilution activity coefficients where improved predictions over UNIEAC for a database of 1879 critically evaluated experimental data points has been claimed (263). (2) Observation of inverse linear relationship between log 1-octanol—water partition coefficient and Hquid... 

Rutan, The SPACE Predictor for Infinite Dilution Activity Coefficients, unpubhshed, presented at AlChE 1992 Annual Meeting, Nov. 3, Miami Beach, Fla. For information, write to Chades. A. Eckert, School of Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Adanta, Ga. 30332-0100. 

The symmetrical nature of these relations is evident. The infinite-dilution values of the activity coefficients are In yF = Iri JT = B. 

The binary interaction parameters are evaluated from liqiiid-phase correlations for binaiy systems. The most satisfactoiy procedure is to apply at infinite dilution the relation between a liquid-phase activity coefficient and its underlying fugacity coefficients, Rearrangement of the logarithmic form yields... 

Outlined below are the steps required for of a X T.E calciilation of vapor-phase composition and pressure, given the liquid-phase composition and temperature. A choice must be made of an equation of state. Only the Soave/Redlich/Kwong and Peng/Robinson equations, as represented by Eqs. (4-230) and (4-231), are considered here. These two equations usually give comparable results. A choice must also be made of a two-parameter correlating expression to represent the liquid-phase composition dependence of for each pq binaiy. The Wilson, NRTL (with a fixed), and UNIQUAC equations are of general applicabihty for binary systems, the Margules and van Laar equations may also be used. The equation selected depends on evidence of its suitability to the particular system treated. Reasonable estimates of the parameters in the equation must also be known at the temperature of interest. These parameters are directly related to infinite-dilution values of the activity coefficients for each pq binaiy. 

Concentrated, Binary Mixtures of Nonelectrolytes Several correlations that predict the composition dependence of Dab. re summarized in Table 5-19. Most are based on known values of D°g and Dba- In fact, a rule of thumb states that, for many binary systems, D°g and Dba bound the Dab vs. Xa cuiwe. CuUinan s equation predicts dif-fusivities even in hen of values at infinite dilution, but requires accurate density, viscosity, and activity coefficient data. 

Table 13-1, based on the binary-system activity-coefficient-eqnation forms given in Table 13-3. Consistent Antoine vapor-pressure constants and liquid molar volumes are listed in Table 13-4. The Wilson equation is particularly useful for systems that are highly nonideal but do not undergo phase splitting, as exemplified by the ethanol-hexane system, whose activity coefficients are snown in Fig. 13-20. For systems such as this, in which activity coefficients in dilute regions may...

The solvent and the key component that show most similar liquid-phase behavior tend to exhibit little molecular interactions. These components form an ideal or nearly ideal liquid solution. The ac tivity coefficient of this key approaches unity, or may even show negative deviations from Raoult s law if solvating or complexing interactions occur. On the other hand, the dissimilar key and the solvent demonstrate unfavorable molecular interactions, and the activity coefficient of this key increases. The positive deviations from Raoult s law are further enhanced by the diluting effect of the high-solvent concentration, and the value of the activity coefficient of this key may approach the infinite dilution value, often aveiy large number. 

The effect of solvent concentration on the activity coefficients of the key components is shown in Fig. 13-72 for the system methanol-acetone with either water or methylisopropylketone (MIPK) as solvent. For an initial-feed mixture of 50 mol % methanol and 50 mol % acetone (no solvent present), the ratio of activity coefficients of methanol and acetone is close to unity. With water as the solvent, the activity coefficient of the similar key (methanol) rises slightly as the solvent concentration increases, while the coefficient of acetone approaches the relatively large infinite-dilution value. With methylisopropylketone as the solvent, acetone is the similar key and its activity coefficient drops toward unity as the solvent concentration increases, while the activity coefficient of the methanol increases. 

Gmehhng and Onken (op. cit.) give the activity coefficient of acetone in water at infinite dilution as 6.74 at 25 C, depending on which set of vapor-liquid equilibrium data is correlated. From Eqs. (15-1) and (15-7) the partition ratio at infinite dilution of solute can he calculated as follows ... 

It follows that die separation of cadmium must be carried out in a distillation column, where zinc can be condensed at the lower temperamre of each stage, and cadmium is preferentially evaporated. Because of the fact that cadmium-zinc alloys show a positive departure from Raoult s law, the activity coefficient of cadmium increases in dilute solution as the temperature decreases in the upper levels of the still. The separation is thus more complete as the temperature decreases. 

Examples of this procedure for dilute solutions of copper, silicon and aluminium shows the widely different behaviour of these elements. The vapour pressures of the pure metals are 1.14 x 10, 8.63 x 10 and 1.51 x 10 amios at 1873 K, and the activity coefficients in solution in liquid iron are 8.0, 7 X 10 and 3 X 10 respectively. There are therefore two elements of relatively high and similar vapour pressures, Cu and Al, and two elements of approximately equal activity coefficients but widely differing vapour pressures. Si and Al. The right-hand side of the depletion equation has the values 1.89, 1.88 X 10- , and 1.44 X 10 respectively, and we may conclude that there will be depletion of copper only, widr insignificant evaporation of silicon and aluminium. The data for the boundaty layer were taken as 5 x lO cm s for the diffusion coefficient, and 10 cm for the boundary layer thickness in liquid iron. 

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