Abstract

ZEPPIERI, Suzana  and  LOPEZ DE RAMOS, Aura. Determination of surface tension for alkane/air and alcohol/air systems by pendant drop technique: correlation for alkane and alcohol . Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2009, vol.24, n.2, pp.71-77. ISSN 0798-4065.

Surface tension was measured for different liquid alkanes and alcohols (from n-hexane to n-dodecane and from methanol to decanol), using the pendant drop experimental technique with a numerical method developed by López de Ramos et al. (1993). The experimental equipment used to generate the drops consisted of a cell of a metallic body (with two glass windows of optical quality). The liquid phase was introduced from the top of the cell employing a capillary tube to form the pendant drop. Temperature was changed between 10 and 70 °C, employing a thermostatic bath. To obtain the images of the pendant drops it was used a video camera, a micro lens (60 mm), a video recording system and a computer. A new correlation was obtained to predict surface tension as a function of temperature and the number of atoms of carbon. This correlation allows computing surface tension with deviations no greater than 10% for the case of the hydrocarbons and no greater than 5% for the alcohol/air system

Keywords : Pendant drop; Surface tension; Correlation; Liquid hydrocarbons; Alcohol.