A model for viscosity coefficients of gases with potentials differing in form

Abstract

A recent theory of non-conformal interactions has been very succesful in providing effective spherical potentials for the pressure of more than 40 real gases and many of their binary mixtures. Here, this theory is applied to deal with low-density viscosity coefficients. In its simplest form, the approximate non-conformal (ANC) theory introduces, besides the usual corresponding states parameters-energy ε and distance rm-a softness parameter s to account for the form of a particular potential function. We investigate the effects of the potential form on the temperature behaviour of the viscosisty coefficient η. It is shown that the softer potentials, with wider attractive wells, have larger viscosities and an explicit expression for η (T, ε, rm, s) is obtained. The ANC potentials are tested in their capacity to reproduce the temperature dependence of η for the heavier noble gases (Ar, Kr and Xe), diatomics (H2, N2, O2 and CI2) and a dozen small polyatomics. It is found that the ANC model η (T, ε, rm, s), with only three substance-dependent parameters, reproduces experimental 7 data within their estimated error.