MEASUREMENT OF THE VISCOSITY OF HFC-134A IN THE TEMPERATURE-RANGE 213-423-K AND AT PRESSURES UP TO 30-MPA

The viscosity of HFC 134a was measured over the range of temperatures from 213 to 423 K and pressures up to 30 MPa. The experimental method was that of the capillary flow and a closed-circuit high-pressure viscometer was used. The sample fluid was circulated through a stainless-steel capillary from a high-pressure plunger system. The constant of the capillary was calibrated against the reference standard, pure water. The viscosity of the sample was calculated from the flow rate, the pressure drop at the capillary, and the capillary constant using the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. Measurements were made at a total of 39 points on eight isotherms. The measurement uncertainty of the viscosities was estimated as +/- 1.3 %. Based on the present results, an empirical equation for the viscosity of HFC 134a has been correlated. The viscosity on the saturation line calculated by the equation compares with experimental viscosity data in other previous studies. There are rather considerable differences among these measurements. Comparisons of the data for HFC 134a with those for CFC 12 show that the viscosity of HFC 134a is similar in magnitude to that of CFC 12 at temperatures around 300 K but is higher at lower temperatures and lower at higher temperatures. The pressure gradients for these two corresponding substances are similar over the entire temperature range.