Comparison of electrolytic conductivity theories:: Performance of classical and new theories

Conductivity equations, based on the mean spherical approximation (MSA), have recently been derived. We compare their performance with that of classical equations at the level of experimental uncertainty using conductivity data for some typical electrolyte solutions. For symmetrical electrolytes, the picture is consistent showing a better performance for the classical equations. The Lee and Wheaten equation also shows advantages at moderate concentrations. For unsymmetrical electrolytes, the differences between MSA and classical equations is larger. There is, however, an inherent inconsistency with the equilibrium information, which cannot be resolved at present.