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

ABSTRACT

The effect of the ionic liquid tetra methyl ammonium chloride [TMACl] on the vapor-liquid equilibrium of n-propanol + water and isopropanol + water was studied experimentally. The ionic liquid [TMACl] was identified as a suitable entrainer for breaking the azeotrope of these two alcohol - water mixtures. This work reports the influence of an ammonium based ionic liquid on the separation of azeotropic mixtures. The isobaric vapor liquid equilibrium data of npropanol + water + [TMACl] and isopropanol + water + [TMACl] were measured at atmospheric pressure. The amount of [TMACl] required for eliminating the azeotrope for both the systems were found to be low compared to imidazolium ionic liquids reported earlier. For n-propanol + water system, the azeotrope was eliminated at [TMACl] mole fraction of 0.05 and for isopropanol + water system, the azeotrope was eliminated at a mole fraction of 0.026. The effect of [TMACl] on both the alcohol - water systems has been explained in terms of relative volatility and activity coefficient.