Activity coefficients, liquid phase from azeotropic data

From the isothermal vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the ethanol(l)/toluene(2) system given in Table 1.11, calculate (a) vapor composition, assuming that the liquid phase and the vapor phase obey Raoult s and Dalton s laws, respectively, (b) the values of the infinite-dilution activity coefficients, Y and y2°°, (c) Van Laar parameters using data at the azeotropic point as well as from the infinite-dilution activity coefficients, and (d) Wilson parameters using data at the azeotropic point as well as from the infinite-dilution activity coefficients. 

Compilations of infinite-dilution activity coefficients, when available for the solute of interest, may be used to rank candidate solvents. Partition ratios at finite concentrations can be estimated from these data by extrapolation from infinite dilution using a suitable correlation equation such as NRTL [Eq. (15-25)]. Examples of these lands of calculations are given by Walas [Phase EquU ria in Chemical Engineering (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1985)]. Most activity coefficients available in the literature are for small organic molecules and are derived from vapor-liquid equilibrium measurements or azeotropic composition data. 

Mixtures with nonsimilar molecular structures, and in particular mixtures containing water, generally exhibit nonideal behavior. When this situation prevails, recourse must be made to published experimental data or correlations of liquid phase activity coefQcients. With a minimum of experimental data, some very good models are available to provide activity coefficients over a broad range of conditions. If no experimental data are available, and there is no azeotrope, then approximate results can be obtained from the UNIFAC model. But it is better to make some experiments. 

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data Collection (Gmehling et al., 1980). In this DECHEMA data bank, which is available both in more than 20 volumes and electronically, the data from a large fraction of the articles can be found easily. In addition, each set of data has been regressed to determine interaction coefficients for the binary pairs to be used to estimate liquid-phase activity coefficients for the NRTL, UNIQUAC, Wilson, etc., equations. This database is also accessible by process simulators. For example, with an appropriate license agreement, data for use in ASPEN PLUS can be retrieved from the DECHEMA database over the Internet. For nonideal mixtures, the extensive compilation of Gmehling (1994) of azeotropic data is very useful. 

Isopropyl alcohol and water form a minimum boiling point azeotrope at 88 wt% isopropyl alcohol and 12 wt% water. Vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data are available from several sources and can be used to back-calculate binary interaction parameters or liquid-phase activity coefficients. The process presented in Figure B.3 and Table B.6 was simulated using the UNIQUAC VLE thermodynamics package and the latent heat enthalpy option in the CHEMCAD simulator. This package correctly predicts the formation of the azeotrope at 88 wt% alcohol. 

At 1 atm pressure, the ethanol-water azeotrope has a composition of 10.57 mol% water, at a temperature of 78.15°C [9]. The liquid-phase activity coefficients are computed in Example 7.4. Calculate the corresponding values of the liquid-phase activity coefficients from Eq. 8.6. Are they the same similar The constants with Eq. 8.6 are chosen to give the best average representation of the VLE data over the whole data range the answers to Example 7.4 are best for the azeotrope. 

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