Impact of carbon dioxide on the surface tension of 1-hexanol aqueous solutions

Abstract

Effects of carbon dioxide presence on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics of 1-hexanol solutions were investigated. Experiments were performed at a range of carbon dioxide vapor pressures and varying concentrations of 1-hexanol aqueous solution. Both dynamic and steady-state surface tensions of 1-hexanol aqueous solution were found to decrease with carbon dioxide pressure, and a linear relationship was observed between the steady-state surface tension and carbon dioxide pressure. To explain the experiments, adsorption and desorption of the two species (1-hexanol and carbon dioxide) from two sides of the vapor–liquid interface were considered. A modified Langmuir isotherm, the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation were developed. The resulting steady-state and dynamic surface tension data were modeled using the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation, respectively. Equilibrium constants and adsorption rate constants of 1-hexanol and carbon dioxide were evaluated through a minimization procedure for CO 2 pressures ranging from 0 to 690 kPa. From the steady-state modeling, the equilibrium parameters for 1-hexanol and carbon dioxide adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase were found unchanged at different pressures of carbon dioxide. From the dynamic modeling, the adsorption rate constants for 1-hexanol and carbon dioxide from vapor phase and liquid phase were found to decrease with carbon dioxide pressure. Some fluctuations in the fitting parameters of the dynamic modeling (adsorption rate constants) were observed. These fluctuations may be due to experimental errors, or more likely the limitations of the model used. A major limitation of the model is related to large differences in adsorption/desorption between initial and final stages of the process, and a single set of property parameters cannot describe both initial and final states of the system. Variations may occur depending on which set of data, of initial or final states, is used in the model predictions over the entire time range.