Thermodynamics Research Center / ThermoML | Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data

ABSTRACT

Vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) data were measured for the ternary systems water + 2-butanone + alcohol at 101.3 kPa by means of a Gillespie type still equipped with an ultrasonic homogenizer. VLLE were observed in the temperature ranges of (346.65 to 346.79) K, (346.74 to 352.70) K and (346.52 to 346.75) K for the water + 2-butanone + ethanol, water + 2- butanone + 1-propanol and water + 2-butanone + 2-propanol systems, respectively. For all three systems a region of liquid-liquid immiscibility was observed and the vapor phase compositions were outside the liquid-liquid phase envelope. The absence of ternary heterogeneous azeotropes was thus established. The non-random two-liquid (NRTL), universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) and universal functional (UNIFAC) activity coefficient models were used for comparison with experimental results. The parameters were fitted to the binary subsystems vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibrium experimental data. While correct estimations of experimental vapor phase trends were obtained, all three activity coefficient models failed to provide a fair description of the size of the heterogeneous region. Overall, the thermodynamic modeling results were poor, emphasizing the need for experimental data and application of advanced thermodynamic models.