Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.40, No.22, 5021-5028, 2001
A Debye-Huckel model for calculating the viscosity of binary strong electrolyte solutions
In this article we present a new model for correlating dynamic viscosity of binary strong electrolyte solutions. The proposed model is based on Eyring's absolute rate theory and the Debye-Huckel model for calculating the excess (electrostatic) free energy of activation of the viscous flow. In the present model we consider that the free energy of activation of the viscous flow as being the same as the appropriate thermodynamic free energy used for calculating equilibrium properties of the electrolyte solution. Modifications of Eyring's absolute rate theory must be performed to take into account the solvent as a continuous medium, as considered in the Debye-Huckel theory. This is accomplished by means of the osmotic-pressure framework for solutions. In this framework one adopts a thermodynamic free energy, which is considered as a function of the absolute temperature, pressure, number of moles of the solute species, and chemical potential of the solvent. The proposed model contains two adjustable Parameters that have been fitted by means of experimental viscosity data of the literature. The total number of 21 binary electrolyte systems (at 0.1 MPa and 25 degreesC) with different solvents (water, methanol, ethanol, and 1-butanol) have been studied. The calculated viscosity values are in good agreement with the experimental ones. The overall average mean relative standard deviation is 0.52%.