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Diffusion coefficients in hydrocarbon systems: Methane in the liquid phase of the methane– n ‐heptane system
Author(s) -
Reamer H. H.,
Sage B. H.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690030406
Subject(s) - methane , diffusion , heptane , chemistry , hydrocarbon , thermodynamics , molecular diffusion , alkane , hydrocarbon mixtures , fick's laws of diffusion , binary system , phase (matter) , analytical chemistry (journal) , binary number , organic chemistry , metric (unit) , physics , operations management , arithmetic , mathematics , economics
The production and refining of petroleum involve many processes in which conditions deviate markedly from equilibrium. For prediction of the behavior of such nonequilibrium systems, information concerning the molecular‐transport characteristics of the paraffin hydrocarbons is of practical interest. Fick diffusion coefficients for methane were measured in the liquid phase of the methane– n ‐heptane system at temperatures between 40° and 340°F. at pressures up to 3,500 lb./sq. in., but the pressure range was limited at the higher temperatures by approach to the critical state of this binary system. The measurements obtained confirmed the fact that the Fick diffusion coefficients for methane decrease with an increase in the concentration of this component and increase rapidly with an increase in temperature for a constant composition. These data together with similar information for other binary paraffin hydrocarbon systems indicate that the Fick diffusion coefficients for methane decrease with an increase in the molecular weight of the less volatile component.