Phase equilibria of the propylene glycol/CO2 and propylene glycol/ethanol/CO2 systems

Abstract

The high-pressure vapour–liquid phase equilibria (P–T–x–y) of the binary mixture propylene glycol/CO2 have been experimentally investigated at temperatures of (398.2, 423.2 and 453.2)K over the pressure range from (2.5 to 55.0)MPa using a static-analytic method. Furthermore, the high-pressure vapour–liquid phase equilibria (P–T–x–y) of the ternary mixture propylene glycol/CO2/ethanol at constant temperatures of (398.2, 423.2 and 453.2)K and at constant pressure of 15.0MPa have been determined using a static-analytic method. Initial concentrations of components in propylene glycol (PG)/ethanol (EtOH) mixture vary from 10 up to 90wt.%. In general, for binary system it was observed that the solubility of CO2 in the heavy propylene glycol reach phase increases with increasing pressure at constant temperature. On the contrary, the composition of gaseous phase is not influenced by the pressure or the temperature. On average the solubility of PG in light phase of CO2 amounts to 30wt.%. The system behaviour at temperature of 398.2K was investigated up to 70.0MPa and a single-phase region was not observed. Above the pressure 60.0MPa a single-phase region of the system was observed for the temperature of 423.2K. For the temperature of 453.2K the single-phase was observed above the pressure of 48.0MPa. For ternary system it was observed that the composition of heavy phase is slightly influenced by the temperature when the mass fraction of EtOH in initial mixture is higher than 50wt.%. If the mass fraction of PG in initial mixture is higher than 50wt.%, the composition of heavy phase is not influenced by the temperature anymore. The composition of the PG, EtOH and CO2 in light phase remains more or less unchanged and it is not influenced by the conditions.