Measuring surface tension of binary mixtures of water + alcohols from the diffraction pattern of surface ripples

Surface tension data of binary mixtures of water + alcohols was measured at a temperature of 25ºC using the optical diffraction method. The experimental values were correlated with temperature and mole fraction. T he surface tension of these binary mixtures decreases with the increase in linear alcohol content. Surface tensions for methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2- propanol were determined at various temperatures and normal atmospheric pressure. The magnitude of these experimental quantities is discussed in terms of the nature and type of intermolecular interactions and hydrogen bonding in the binary mixtures. Distilled water at the temperature range of 0 to 100ºC had surface tensions of 75.99 to 58.93mN/m. Temperature was plotted against surface tension, and the general polynomial trend of the lines was found to be y = -0.167x+76.25 for water and y=-0.080x+24.13, y=-0.082x+24.10, y=-0.078x+25.38 and y=- 0.077x+22.8 for methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol, respectively. The logarithm of mole fraction of alcohols in water was plotted against the surface tension, and the general polynomial trend of the lines for water+ methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol were found to be , , and , respectively

Author(s): H. Ghahremani 1 , A. Moradi2, J. Abedini-Torghabeh3, S.M. Hassani4

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