Solubility of methane in pure non-ionic surfactants and pure and mixtures of linear alcohols at 298 K and 101.3 kPa

Abstract

AbstractThe emissions of methane (CH4), a powerful greenhouse gas (GES), contribute to the increase in GES concentration level in the atmosphere. For this reason, the importance of controlling CH4 emissions of anthropogenic origin has increased over the last decades. Physicochemical and biological processes are available for treating CH4. For this reason, such properties as the solubility of CH4 in aqueous solutions and organic solvents are of great relevance in different applications in environmental engineering and biotechnology. In this study, the solubility of CH4 was determined at 298 K and 101.3 kPa in organic solvents, such as polyoxyethylenesorbates (Tween 20, Tween 40, and Tween 60), and linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, and butan-1-ol) alone and in their admixtures. Admixtures of methanol with butan-1-ol exhibited the highest solubility of CH4, of around 0.49 g m−3 of solvent, whereas the solubility of CH4 in linear alcohols varied from 0.167 g m−3 to 0.41 g m−3 of solvent. In the case of Tweens, CH4 solubility decreased with the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) number.