Tuesday, 8 December 2015

LAB 1 : Determination of Phase Diagram for Three Component System



Title : Determination of Phase Diagram for Ethanol/ Toluene/ Water System Theory (Three-Component Systems)
Aim : To determine the phase diagram for three-component liquid system consisting of  Ethanol , Toluene and Water .
Date : 03.11.2015
Introduction:
A phase diagram is a coordinated triangular diagram that state the composition and relationship of three components system at constant temperature and pressure . It shows the conditions at which thermodynamically distinct phases can occur at equilibrium . The number of phases of a system that can exist in equilibrium at any time depends on the conditions of temperature, concentration and composition.

 In the diagram above , the three corners or apexes of the triangle represent a pure component each , that is 100% by weight of one component (A, B, or C). Thus , the same apex represent 0% of the other two components. For example, the top corner point represents 100% A with 0% B and 0% C. Each side of the triangle represents a two component system or binary mixture .  Any line drawn parallel to one of the sides shows constant percentage value for a component. The three lines joining the corner points represent two-component mixture of the three possible combinations of A, B and C. By dividing each line into 100 equal units, the location of a point along the line can be directly related to the percentage concentration of one component in a two-component system. The area within the triangle represents all the possible combinations of A, B and C to give three-component system .
When a third component is added to a pair of miscible liquid, it may affect their mutual solubility. If the third component is more soluble in one of the liquids than in the other, then the miscibility between that pair of liquids decreases. But, if the third component is soluble in both components, then the mutual solubility is increase. Thus , when ethanol is added to a mixture of benzene and water , the solubility of mixture increased to a point where the mixture become homogenous . This shows that solubility differs when different components are mixed together.
The knowledge on mutual solubility and phase diagram can be applied in the case of preparing pharmaceutical formulation as it often involve the mixing of more than one components while the resulting formulation need to be in homogeneous form. This requirements can be made possible by knowing the exact ratio of each component needed to be mixed and take into consideration the temperature and pressure of the surrounding.
 In this experiment, the three components involved were Ethanol, Toluene and Water. If water and toluene mixed together with ethanol in suitable proportion, they can form  homogeneous solution at equilibrium. The theory behind this phenomena is that solutions are homogeneous because the ratio of solute to solvent remains the same throughout the solution even if homogenized with multiple sources, and stable because the solute will not settle out after any period of time, and it cannot be removed by a filter or centrifuge.  There are 3 components but only 1 phase exists.
Apparatus: Burette , pipette , retort stand, conical flask, measuring cylinder, test tube, conical flask stopper
Material: Toluene, ethanol, distilled water

Procedure : 
1.       Mixtures of ethanol and toluene in sealed container with a total volume of 100cm³ was  prepared containing the following percentages of ethanol (in percent): 10,25,35,50,65,75,90 and 95. 
2. 20mL of each mixture was prepared by filling a certain volume using a burette accurately.
 
3    3.   Each mixture was titrated with water until cloudiness is observed due to the existence of a second   phase.

4.   A little water was added and shake well after each addition.
5    5.  The room temperature was measured.
6. The percentage based on the volume of each component was calculated when the second phase starts to appear/separate.
7    7.    The points were plotted onto a triangular paper to give a triple phase diagram at the recorded temperature.
8    8.   A few more measurements had been done if necessary. The experiment is repeated twice in order to obtain a more accurate measurement.
Result:

%ethanol
% toluene
Volume of Water Used (mL)
Average
Titration I
Titration II
10
90
1.20
1.00
1.10
25
75
1.30
1.30
1.30
35
65
1.50
1.40
1.45
50
50
2.00
1.70
1.85
65
35
2.70
2.70
2.70
75
25
4.30
4.40
4.35
90
10
10.40
11.10
10.75
95
5
14.00
14.60
14.30

Calculation:

  Total   
  volume
      Water         

    Toluene          

     Ethanol   

Volume (mL)
%
Volume (mL)
%
Volume (mL)
%
21.10
1.10
5.21
18.0
85.31
2.0
9.48
21.30
1.30
6.10
15.0
70.42
5.0
23.47
21.45
1.45
6.76
13.0
60.61
7.0
32.63
21.85
1.85
8.47
10.0
45.77
10.0
45.77
22.70
2.70
11.89
7.0
30.84
13.0
57.27
24.35
4.35
17.86
5.0
20.53
15.0
61.60
30.75
10.75
34.96
2.0
6.5
18.0
58.54
34.30
14.30
41.70
1.0
2.92
19.0
55.40

Room Temperature : 27ᵒC







Questions:
1. Does the mixture containing 70% ethanol, 20% water and 10% toluene  ( volume ) appear clear or does it form two phases?
At these concentrations, the mixture will remain clear and form one liquid phase.
2. What will happen if you dilute 1 part of the mixture with 4 parts of (a) water; (b) toluene; (c) ethanol?
1 part mixture x 20% water = 1 x 20/100 = 0.2 part of water
1 part mixture x 10% toluene = 1 x 10/100 = 0.1 part of toluene
1 part mixture x 70% ethanol = 1 x 70/100 = 0.7 part of ethanol
Therefore, there are 0.7 part of ethanol; 0.2 part of water; 0.1 part of toluene in the mixture.
(a) 1 part of mixture + 4 parts of water:
Water = (0.2+4 / 1+4) x 100% = 84%
Toluene = (0.1 /1+4) x 100% =2%
Ethanol = (0.7/1+4) x 100% =14%
From the phase diagram, this mixture is under the area of the binomial curve. Therefore, a 2 phase is formed.
 (b) 1 part of mixture + 4 parts of toluene:
Water = (0.2 / 1+4) x 100% = 4%
Toluene = (0.1+4 / 1+4) x 100% =82%
 Ethanol = (0.7 / 1+4) x 100% =14%
 From the phase diagram, this mixture is outside the area of the binomial curve. Therefore, a clear single liquid phase of solution is formed.
(c)    1 part of mixture + 4 parts of ethanol:
Water = (0.2/ 1+4) x 100% = 4%
Toluene = (0.1 / 1+4) x 100% =2%
Ethanol = (0.7+4 / 1+4) x 100% =94%
From the phase diagram, this mixture is outside the area of the binomial curve. Therefore, a clear single liquid phase of solution is formed.

Discussion:
Phase diagram is a diagram representing the limits of stability of the various phases in a chemical system at equilibrium, with respect to variables of parameters such as concentration and temperature. Therefore, to define the state of each phase, knowledge of several variables is needed and essential. Thus, regarding to this issue, phase rule is formulated by J. Willard Gibbs. Phase rule is used to relate the effect of the minimal number of independent variables upon the various phases that can exist in an equilibrium system that containing a given number of components. The phase rule is expressed as follows:
F = C – P + 2
where, 
F = Number of degree of freedom                                   P = Number of phases
            C= Number of components
            By using phase rule equation in this experiment, the number of degree of freedom, F can be determined. In this experiment, we use three component as each components are composed of different elements. At the beginning of the experiment, we mixed toluene and ethanol which eventually resulting only one liquid phase (homogenous solution). Thus the F obtain in this experiment is 4 (as F = 3-1+2) for a non-condensed system. The degree of freedom at the beginning of the experiment is comprised of temperature, pressure and the each of the concentration of the components. As water is added to the system, F will be reduced to 2 (as F= 3-3+2) for a condensed system as the number of phases are increased from one liquid phase to two liquid phase and addition of one vapour phase. As the number of components increase, the number of degree of freedom also will be increased. However, as F is increased, the system will become more complex, it becomes necessary to fix more variable to define the system. Ironically, the greater the number of phases in equilibrium, the fewer the degrees of freedom.
In this experiment, we are using three different component, which is toluene, ethanol, and water. It is important to know the properties of toluene and ethanol solubility in water. Both toluene and ethanol have different properties in water. Ethanol are soluble in water while toluene are not soluble in water. At the beginning of the experiment, we mixed an amount of toluene and ethanol together. Both are forming a clear mutual miscible solution and forming homogenous solution (one liquid phase). But after adding an amount of water, the solubility of the clear mutual miscible solution are disrupted. The clear solution turns cloudy which indicates the solution does not longer miscible to each other and starts to form two layer (two liquid phase) as resulting from the different degrees of solubility of toluene and ethanol in water.
 The addition of water (third component) to a miscible liquids, which is toluene and ethanol can change their mutual solubility. As water is more soluble in ethanol compared to toluene, the mutual solubility of toluene and ethanol is decreased. However, if water is soluble in both of the liquids, the mutual solubility will be increased. Thus, when water is added to the mixture of toluene and ethanol, the mutual solubility increased until it reached a point where the mixture becomes homogenous solution. This is proved in the experiment, as more amount of water is needed to turn the clear miscible solution into cloudy immiscible solution. In addition, all of the component in this experiment can be a miscible solution when they are mixed together if and only if correct proportions of each component is determined.



Figure 3.1 Triangular diagram
Based on this experiment, we are discussing about the phase diagram for ternary systems as we are dealing with three component systems. Thus, it is more convenient for us to use triangular coordinate graph paper. In this ternary systems, only liquid phases are involved either it will form one phase or two phase. By using a triangular coordinate graph paper, there are certain rules that relate to the use if triangular coordinates. The concentrations of the two component used in this experiment must be expressed on weight-weight basis. This is because in pharmaceutical interest, it will be an efficient method of preparing dispersions and allows the concentration to be expressed as mole fraction or molality. Based on the Figure 3.1, each of three corners or apexes of the triangle represent 100% by weight (in this experiment we use volume of the component) of one component (A: toluene, B: ethanol or C: water). As a result, the same apex will represent 0 % of the other two components. For instance, the top corner point in Figure 3.1 represents 100% A. The three lines joining of the corner points (referred to point AB, BC and CA) represent two-component mixtures of three possible combinations of A, B and C. Thus, lines AB, BC and CA are used for two-component mixtures of A and B, B and C and C and A, respectively.
By dividing each line into 100 equal units, location of point along the line (referred to line AB, BC and CA) can directly related to the percentage concentration of one component in two-component system as the third component of the system is equal to 0. On the hand, the area within the triangle represents all the possible combinations of A, B and C to give three-component systems. For example, based on Figure 3.1, the line parallel to CB that cuts point D is equivalent to 85.31% A , resulting the system to contains 85.31% of A and 14.69% of B and C together. Applying similar arguments to the other two components in the system, we can say that along the line AB, C= 0. As we proceed from line AC towards B, the concentration of B is elevated until the apex, B=100%. The point D lies on the line parallel to line AC is equivalent to 5.21% of B. Thus, to find the concentration of C, we use 100% - (A+B) % = 100% - 90.25% = 9.48%. This is confirmed in the Figure 3.1 as the line AB towards apex C, the point D lies on the line is equivalent to 9.48% of C. This is applied to all points that lies within the line in the triangle.


Conclusions:
In conducting the experiment of phase equilibria in three-component systems, it is important to define the number of degree of freedom to find out the least number of variables that needs to be fixed in order to describe the system completely. This is important as it will affected the data obtained to plot the complete binomial curve. Besides, in this experiment also, all the three component can achieved a homogenous solution (one liquid phase) if the correct proportions of each component is mixed together. The mixture of water, toluene and ethanol become more homogenous when decreasing amount of toluene and increasing amount of ethanol is used in the system. If the proportions of the three components is not correct in order to achieve a clear miscible solution, two liquid phase will be form which is indicates by the appearing of the cloudiness of the mixed solution.

Reference:
1.      Patrick J. Sinko, Yashveer Singh. 2011. Martins Physical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Pharmacy Sciences. Ed. ke6. China: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.  





No comments:

Post a Comment