Supporting Information

The viscosity of dilute water vapor revisited: New

reference values from experiment and theory for
temperatures between (250 and 2500) K

Robert Hellmann and Eckhard Vogel

Institut f
ur Chemie, Universitat Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
E-mail: robert.hellmann@uni-rostock.de

To whom correspondence should be addressed

The re-evaluated results of the fourteen measured isochores of Teske et al. S1 are summarized in Table S1. The isochoric viscosity values had to be extrapolated to the limit of
zero density to enable a comparison with the theoretically computed 0 values and with
other viscosity correlations. In addition, the extrapolated 0 values are needed to judge the
reliability of the experimental data measured particularly at the highest temperatures. The
procedure to obtain these values is presented below.
First, the re-evaluated data points, which were not recorded at exactly the same temperatures for the fourteen isochores, were converted into isothermal values using a first-order
Taylor series in temperature,

(Tiso ) = (Texp ) +


(Tiso Texp ) + RN .

(S1)

The temperature of the isotherms, Tiso , corresponds to the mean of the experimental temperatures Texp detected at the same approximate adjustment of the thermostat for the individual
measuring series. The temperature coefficient (/T ) required in eq S1 was derived from
the following relationship:


D
C
B
+
+E ,
+
(T ) = S exp A ln (TR ) +
TR TR2 TR3

(S2)

where TR = T /(298.15 K) and S = 10 Pa s. The coefficients A, B, C, D, and E were

determined in a fit to the experimental data of each isochoric series. The values of the two
re-measured experimental points of each isochore were not included in the fit. Thus, the
influence of any permanent alteration of the samples or of the suspension system of the
viscometer as a result of the measurements at high temperatures should have been avoided.
It was verified that the remainder RN in eq S1 is insignificant compared with the experimental
uncertainty.
The quasi-experimental viscosity values of each isotherm were correlated as a function of

Table S1: Re-Evaluated Viscosity Data for Water Vapor of Teske et al. S1 (Series 1 to 10)
and of Four Additional Series (Series A to D)a
T /K

/Pa s

Series A
= 0.018 kg m3
300.35
9.746
311.52
10.132
327.19
10.671
339.05
11.090
352.69
11.576
366.97
12.079
384.22
12.726
394.87
13.127
410.22
13.699
423.87
14.231
438.75
14.816
468.21
16.009
497.08
17.229

T /K

/Pa s

/Pa s

T /K

Series B
= 0.023 kg m3
297.76
9.649
311.12
10.108
325.62
10.628
338.47
11.067
352.84
11.575
367.44
12.101
382.98
12.673
395.16
13.118
409.25
13.649
423.35
14.191
438.48
14.782
468.74
15.983
496.27
17.105

9.722
12.599

Series 1
= 0.019 kg m3
298.30
9.678
310.80
10.107
331.18
10.809
338.83
11.081
352.75
11.577
367.84
12.130
380.80
12.599
394.39
13.106
408.87
13.658
423.26
14.212
438.77
14.819
466.81
15.960
498.89
17.303
526.03
18.417
298.20
9.681
384.49
12.744

Series 4
= 0.040 kg m3
297.39
9.644
311.45
10.124
325.00
10.593
339.39
11.099
352.77
11.577
367.03
12.093
381.09
12.605
395.38
13.131
409.46
13.663
423.70
14.226
438.99
14.825
467.51
15.938
497.04
17.168

Series 5
= 0.067 kg m3
297.88
9.633
310.96
10.090
324.45
10.568
341.28
11.145
352.17
11.536
367.10
12.073
380.59
12.563
394.29
13.072
408.32
13.606
422.72
14.169
438.04
14.775
468.25
15.999
495.48
17.141

299.38
380.86

9.800
12.646

Series D
= 0.129 kg m3
298.69
9.676
310.44
10.076
326.81
10.640
338.27
11.045
352.79
11.558
366.46
12.052
380.61
12.568
394.75
13.096
408.69
13.654
423.17
14.208
437.93
14.791
466.96
15.983
497.01
17.273
9.697
12.596

/Pa s

Series C
= 0.092 kg m3
298.16
9.654
311.13
10.098
325.16
10.587
339.49
11.091
352.03
11.536
365.89
12.040
380.14
12.565
394.56
13.105
408.37
13.630
422.63
14.185
437.65
14.786
466.44
15.959
496.94
17.227

Series 7
= 0.108 kg m3
298.38
9.665
311.39
10.106
325.42
10.593
340.17
11.107
353.16
11.571
366.77
12.068
381.33
12.601
395.00
13.115
409.37
13.660
423.62
14.216
438.05
14.801
467.69
16.022
497.08
17.272

9.709
12.555

Series 6
= 0.079 kg m3
299.06
9.688
311.30
10.105
331.47
10.813
338.79
11.055
352.79
11.563
366.96
12.079
381.09
12.600
395.87
13.160
409.39
13.674
423.44
14.220
438.71
14.826
467.24
15.994
498.62
17.347
527.94
18.652
297.66
9.649
381.10
12.604

Series 8
= 0.165 kg m3
298.17
9.672
311.24
10.116
324.54
10.573
339.97
11.110
352.05
11.512
366.48
12.041
380.60
12.553
393.95
13.058
408.30
13.621
422.69
14.184
437.71
14.795
465.99
15.958
494.69
17.211

Series 9
= 0.197 kg m3
298.57
9.663
313.01
10.145
325.15
10.570
338.02
11.008
352.03
11.502
366.29
12.020
380.43
12.542
394.43
13.074
408.76
13.634
422.94
14.193
437.84
14.805
466.15
15.974
496.09
17.277

Series 10
= 0.235 kg m3
300.07
9.704
312.25
10.123
324.74
10.557
338.38
11.024
352.37
11.518
365.86
12.003
381.70
12.592
394.48
13.078
408.34
13.617
422.56
14.182
437.27
14.793
466.87
16.031
495.53
17.297

299.66
380.12

301.55
381.03

9.792
12.605

299.96
380.21

9.714
12.562

Series 2
= 0.025 kg m3
298.02
9.654
311.77
10.129
324.54
10.574
338.47
11.060
352.91
11.575
366.37
12.060
380.42
12.574
394.72
13.100
409.76
13.680
422.75
14.184
440.41
14.886
469.77
16.069
495.87
17.139

T /K

9.800
12.596

298.99
380.91

/Pa s

Series 3
= 0.037 kg m3
298.08
9.661
310.87
10.104
325.96
10.628
338.71
11.072
353.60
11.602
368.22
12.138
382.14
12.649
396.61
13.194
411.18
13.758
423.80
14.254
438.48
14.837
467.91
16.026
498.46
17.360
528.41
18.672
299.75
9.728
384.51
12.747

301.33
382.12

T /K

302.04
380.92

297.33
380.24

299.72
380.43

9.697
12.567

9.630
12.573

299.88
381.62

9.717
12.627

297.72
383.10

9.647
12.686

Standard uncertainties u are u(T ) = 0.05 K for T < 400 K, u(T ) = 0.1 K for T > 400 K, and u() =
0.001 kg m3 . The relative combined expanded (k = 2) uncertainty Uc,r is Uc,r () = 0.002 for T < 303 K,
Uc,r () = 0.004 for 303 K < T < 450 K, and Uc,r () = 0.01 for T > 450 K. The samples consisted of
doubly distilled and degassed water.
b
No data point at the highest temperature.

density by means of a series expansion truncated at first order,

(T, ) = 0 (T ) + 1 (T ).

(S3)

As discussed in section 2.1 of the main article, the reliability of the two 0 values at room
temperature resulting from the extrapolation to the limit of zero density is problematic due
to the reduced number of data points in the unsaturated vapor. Even small uncertainties of
the experimental data could have resulted in unreliable 0 values, since the available data
points correspond to nearly the same density, 0.020 kg m3 . The comparatively large
values of the initial-density viscosity coefficient 1 for both isotherms at room temperature
(see Table 1 in the main article) indicate that this could be the case. Therefore, the 0
values at room temperature were also corrected to the limit of zero density applying the
Rainwater-Friend theory S2,S3 for the initial density dependence of the transport properties.
The initial density dependence of the viscosity is characterized by the second viscosity
virial coefficient,
B (T ) =

M 1 (T )
,
0 (T )

(S4)

where M is the molar mass. Tables of the reduced second viscosity virial coefficient B as a
function of the reduced temperature T were reported by Bich and Vogel, S4,S5 while Vogel
et al. S6 proposed an improved correlation for B (T ) in the range 0.3 T 100,
6

B (T ) =

B (T ) X
=
bi T i/4 + b7 T 5/2 + b8 T 11/2 ,
NA 3
i=0

(S5)

where NA is Avogadros constant and T = kB T /. The coefficients bi are given in ref S6,
and the scaling factors for water were determined by Teske et al. S1 in a fit of eq S5 to
experimental B values to be = 0.48873 nm and /kB = 459.85 K.
To calculate the viscosity in the limit of zero density from an experimental (T, ) value
at a moderately low density , the following relation, which results from eqs S3S5, was

used:
0 (T ) =

(T, )
.
1 + NA 3 B (T )/M

(S6)

The 0 values of the isotherms at about 299 K in Table 1 of the main article were obtained
by averaging the results obtained for the three data points at densities < s .
Finally, viscosity values for the saturated vapor were deduced for the low-temperature
isotherms. The densities at saturation, s , were computed using the equation of state by
Wagner and Pru, S7 while the respective viscosity s was obtained by taking the mean of the
viscosity values for densities > s of the considered isotherm. The results for the saturated
vapor at low temperatures are given in Table S2.
Table S2: Viscosity s at the Saturated Vapor Density s Derived from the Re-Evaluated
Quasi-Experimental Isotherms of the Measurements of Teske et al. S1

a
b

T /K

na

s /kg m3

298.49
311.38
326.23
339.09
299.51b

11
8
5
2
11

0.023520
0.046856
0.095843
0.16793
0.024902

(s s )/Pa s
9.668
10.104
10.617
11.047
9.709

0.003
0.003
0.004
0.002
0.004

Number of quasi-experimental points used for averaging the viscosity at densities > s .
Re-measurements at lower temperature after the highest temperature had been attained.

References
(S1) Teske, V.; Vogel, E.; Bich, E. Viscosity measurements on water vapor and their evaluation. J. Chem. Eng. Data 2005, 50, 20822087.
(S2) Friend, D. G.; Rainwater, J. C. Transport properties of a moderately dense gas. Chem.
Phys. Lett. 1984, 107, 590594.
(S3) Rainwater, J. C.; Friend, D. G. Second viscosity and thermal-conductivity virial coefficients of gases: Extension to low reduced temperature. Phys. Rev. A 1987, 36,
40624066.
5

(S4) Bich, E.; Vogel, E. The initial density dependence of transport properties: Noble gases.
Int. J. Thermophys. 1991, 12, 2742.
(S5) Bich, E.; Vogel, E. In Transport Properties of Fluids: Their Correlation, Prediction and
Estimation; Millat, J., Dymond, J., de Castro, C. A. N., Eds.; Cambridge University
Press: Cambridge, 1996; Chapter 5.2, pp 7282.
(S6) Vogel, E.; K
uchenmeister, C.; Bich, E.; Laesecke, A. Reference correlation of the viscosity of propane. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 1998, 27, 947970.
(S7) Wagner, W.; Pru, A. The IAPWS formulation 1995 for the thermodynamic properties
of ordinary water substance for general and scientific use. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data
2002, 31, 387535.