Phase behavior and equilibria of r-134a in room-temperature ionic liquids

I&EC 82

Wei Ren, renw@ku.edu1, Aaron M. Scurto, ascurto@ku.edu1, Mark B Shiflett, mark.b.shiflett@usa.dupont.com2, and A Yokozeki, akimichi.yokozeki@usa.dupont.com3. (1) Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, 4132 Learned Hall, 1530 W. 15th St., Lawrence, KS 66045, (2) Central Research and Development, DuPont, Experimental Station, Wilmington, DE 19880, (3) Fluoroproducts Laboratory, DuPont, Chestnut Run Plaza 711, Wilmington, DE 19880
The global phase behavior and phase equilibrium have been determined for several ionic liquids with the refrigerant R-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) in imidazolium based ionic liquids. Low-pressure solubility measurements of R-134a in imidazolium based ionic liquids have been performed using a gravimetric microbalance at temperatures of from about 283-345 K and pressures up to about 2 MPa. High-pressure solubility measurements have been measured using a static stoichiometric method from about 313 to 373 K and pressures up to about 25 MPa. Both low and high-pressure solubility (pressure-temperature-composition) data have been well correlated with an equation-of-state (EOS) model. The EOS has predicted Type-V phase behavior according to the Konynenburg-Scott classification for some of the ionic liquids. In order to prove this prediction, liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE), vapor-liquid-liquid (VLLE) and critical point measurements have been measured experimentally to confirm the phase behavior classification. In addition, large negative excess molar volumes have been observed for the ionic liquid-rich solutions.

Keywords: ionic liquid, equation of state, solubility, hydrofluorocarbon, liquid-liquid separation, vapor liquid equilibria, vapor liquid liquid equilibrium, critical points.