MEASUREMENT OF THE CRITICAL-TEMPERATURES AND CRITICAL PRESSURES OF SOME THERMALLY STABLE OR MILDLY UNSTABLE ALKANOLS

An apparatus for the measurement of critical temperatures and critical pressures of thermally stable or mildly unstable organic substances has been designed, fabricated, and tested. A special feature is an arrangement for heating the sample rapidly to temperatures near the critical so as to reduce decomposition. Temperatures were measured with a chromel-to-alumel thermocouple with an accuracy of ±0.1 K. Pressures were measured with a transducer assembly with an accuracy of ±0.001 MPa. Measurements of Tc and pc for 3 n-alkanes, and 4 straight-chain and 10 branched alkanols, are reported, and compared with the literature and predicted values using the methods of Ambrose and of Somayajulu. © 1991 Academic Press Limited All rights reserved.