Studies on dielectric relaxation in relation to viscosity of some anilines, phenol, and their binary mixtures at microwave frequencies

Abstract

In the present work, the study of variation of relaxation time (τ) with viscosity of the medium (η) is carried out on four polar samples: 2-Nitroaniline, 4-Bromoaniline, 4-Chloroaniline, 4-Chlorophenol, and also on the binary mixture of 2-Nitroaniline + 4-Bromoaniline at room temperature by using microwave bench operating at a frequency of 9.59 GHz. In this regard, the different parameters like dielectric constant ([Formula: see text]), dielectric loss ([Formula: see text]), relaxation time (τs), macroscopic steady state viscosity (ηs), dynamic viscosity (ηd), and viscoelastic relaxation time (τve) were determined for all the systems. It is observed that the relaxation time (τs) increases with the increase in the viscosity of the medium for all the systems. Plots of log(τs) versus log(ηs) for all the systems show that variation of relaxation time is found to be nonlinear in the higher viscosity regions. This suggests the failure of Debye’s theory at these regions. Further, the nonlinear behaviour of relaxation time with the viscosity is explained by using the viscoelastic model suggested by Barlow et al. (Proc. R. Soc. A 309, 473 (1969). doi: 10.1098/rspa.1969.0053 ). It is also observed that macroscopic steady state viscosity (ηs) values are greater than the dynamic viscosity (ηd), and viscoelastic relaxation time (τve) values were found to be lower compared to the relaxation time (τs). These results suggest that the effective frictional resistance experienced by the molecules during reorientation is lower and the measured values of macroscopic steady state viscosity (ηs) are frequency dependent.