Thermodynamics Research Center / ThermoML | International Journal of Thermophysics

ABSTRACT

Isobaric vapor liquid equilibrium for the ternary mixture benzene + cyclohexane + 1-propanol was experimentally investigated at atmospheric pressure. Data were tested and considered thermodynamically consistent by means McDermott and Ellis method. The experimental results showed that this ternary mixture is completely miscible and exhibits three binary minimum homogeneous azeotropes and a ternary minimum azeotrope at the studied conditions. Satisfactory results were obtained for correlation of equilibrium compositions with UNIQUAC equation and also for prediction with UNIFAC method. In both cases, low root mean square deviations of vapor mole fraction and temperature were calculated. The capability of 1-propanol as modified distillation agent at atmospheric condition is discussed in terms of the Thermodynamic Topological Analysis. However, owing to the complex topology of the ternary mixture its leads to a distillation scheme with two columns specifing ternary azeotrope recycling and difficult operation. Thus, this compound is not recommended as separation agent for benzene + cyclohexane binary azeotrope.