Water–Hydrocarbon Phase Equilibria with SAFT-VR Mie Equation of State

Prediction of water anomalous properties by introducing the two-state theory in SAFT

Water is one of the most abundant substances on earth, but it is still not entirely understood. It shows unusual behavior, and its properties present characteristic extrema unlike any other fluid. This unusual behavior has been linked to the two-state theory of water, which proposes that water forms different clusters, one with a high density and one with a low density, which may even form two distinct phases at low temperatures. Models incorporating the two-state theory manage to capture the unusual extrema of water, unlike traditional equations of state, which fail. In this work, we have derived the framework to incorporate the two-state theory of water into the Statistical-Associating-Fluid-Theory (SAFT). More specifically, we have assumed that water is an ideal solution of high density water molecules and low density water molecules that are in chemical equilibrium. Using this assumption, we have generalized the association term SAFT to allow for the simultaneous existence of the two water types, which have the same physical parameters but different association properties. We have incorporated the newly derived association term in the context of the Perturbed Chain-SAFT (PC-SAFT). The new model is referred to as PC-SAFT-Two-State (PC-SAFT-TS). Using PC-SAFT-TS, we have succeeded in predicting the characteristic extrema of water, such as its density and speed of sound maximum, etc., without loss of accuracy compared to the original PC-SAFT. This new framework is readily extended to mixtures, and PC-SAFT-TS manages to capture the solubility minimum of hydrocarbons in water in a straightforward manner.

Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Solutions: A Review and Calculations with the eSAFT-VR Mie Equation of State

In this work, mixed-solvent mean ionic activity coefficients (MIAC), vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE), and liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) of electrolyte solutions have been addressed. An extended literature review of existing electrolyte activity coefficient models (eGE) and electrolyte equations of state (eEoS) for modeling mixed solvent electrolyte systems is first presented, focusing on the details of the models in terms of physical and electrolyte terms, relative static permittivity, and parameterization. The analysis of this literature reveals that the property predictions can be ranked, from the easiest to the most difficult, in the following order: VLE, MIAC, and LLE. We have then used our previously developed eSAFT-VR Mie model to predict MIAC, VLE, and LLE in mixed solvents without fitting any new adjustable parameters. The model was parameterized on MIAC of aqueous electrolyte solutions and successfully extended to nonaqueous, single solvent electrolyte solutions without any new adjustable parameters by using a salt-dependent expression for the relative static permittivity. Our approach yields excellent results for MIAC and VLE of mixed solvent electrolyte solutions, while being fully predictive. LLE is significantly more challenging, and an accurate model for the salt-free solution is crucial for accurate calculations. When the compositions of the two phases in the binary salt-free system are accurately captured, then the electrolyte extension of our model shows a lot of potential and is currently among the best eEoS for LLE prediction in the literature.