Dielectric Studies on Binary Mixtures of Diethyl Ether (DEE) in Polar Solvents

Abstract

Dielectric constant (ε) of diethylether (DEE) in binary mixtures with four polar solvents such as n‐butanl, i‐butanol, t‐butanol and tolune has been measured at 455 kHz and at a temperature 303.15 K. The refractive indices were measured at a regulated temperature by Pulfrich refractometer at sodium D‐line. The data is used to evaluate mutual correlation factor gab, excess molar polarization and excess free energy of mixing ΔGab by using Winkelmann‐Quitzsch equation for binary mixtures to asses the suitability of the polar solvents as modifiers. The trend of variation for these parameters exhibit marked dependence on the nature of alcohols. Diethylether is one of the solvent extractant used for the extraction and separation of zirconium and hafnium in reactor technology. The extractant is blended with appropriate polar modifiers for greater dispersal and more rapid phase disengagement. This facilitates in the elimination of the third organo‐aqueous phase containing some of the metal ions. As such the study of molecular interaction among the component molecules has been undertaken in these binary mixtures using the dielectric route. The interaction parameters such as mutual correlation factor gab is found to be less than one in all alcohols, while it is negative in toluene upto 0.7 DEE molefraction and thereafter becoming positive. The nature of variation of the excess miolar polarization ΔP and excess free energy of mixing Gab tends to support the assessment of gab to choose a suitable polar modifier.