Study of the reciprocal solubilities in the acrylonitrile-propionitrile-aqueous buffer system

Abstract

An empirical additivity rule, previously known for homologues or isomers of hydrocarbons or alcohols only, has been found applicable for the reciprocal solubilities in acrylonitrile (AN)-propionitrile (PN)- aqueous buffer (B) solution systems. The experimentally determined overall solubility of AN and PN mixtures in B (S_all) can be calculated from the equation S_all = X_ANS_AN + X_PNS_PN, where S_AN and S_PN are the individual solubilties of AN and PN in B, while XAN and XpN are the mole fractions of AN and PN in the organic phase. This additivity rule is derived theoretically from the chemical potentials of the species involved in the equilibrium. Due to the closely related structures of AN and PN, the mixture of these two nitriles show a quasiideal behaviour. The reciprocal solubilities values determined for such systems allow for the calculation of an accurate material balance of PN electrosynthesis.