The Full Pressure–Temperature Phase Envelope of a Mixture in 1000 Microfluidic Chambers. Issue 45 (4th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Yi; Riordon, Jason; Cheng, Xiang; Bao, Bo; Sinton, David
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 56:Issue 45(2017)
• Page Start: 13962
• Page End: 13967
• Publication Date: 2017-10-04
• Subjects: analytical methods -- microreactors -- phase diagrams -- sensors -- thermodynamics; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201708238
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Knowing the thermodynamic state of complex mixtures—liquid, gas, supercritical or two‐phase—is essential to industrial chemical processes. Traditionally, phase diagrams are compiled piecemeal from individual measurements in a pressure–volume–temperature cell performed in series, where each point is subject to a long fluid equilibrium time. Herein, 1000 microfluidic chambers, each isolated by a liquid piston and set to a different pressure and temperature combination, provide the complete pressure–temperature phase diagram of a hydrocarbon mixture at once, including the thermodynamic phase envelope. Measurements closely match modeled values, with a standard deviation of 0.13 MPa between measurement and model for the dew and bubble point lines, and a difference of 0.04 MPa and 0.25 °C between measurement and model for the critical point. Abstract : 1000‐in‐one experiment : A series of 1000 microfluidic chambers isolated and pressurized by liquid pistons operate in parallel to measure the thermodynamic state of a complex mixture in a single experiment. The dew and bubble point lines, liquid volume lines, and critical point are measured quickly and at high resolution.