INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY

January, 1930

13

Vapor Pressure of Toluene up to the Critical

Temperature'
Norman W. Krase and J. B. Goodman
CHEMISTRY
DEPARTMENT,
UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS,
URBANA,
ILL.

HE development of industrial processes involving high

temperatures and high pressures is becoming so rapid
that knowledge of the properties of substances under
these conditions is quite essential. As part of the program
of fundamental research in this field started by this laboratory, apparatus and methods for the measurement of vapor
pressures were developed. This paper describes the work
and includes new data on toluene from the normal boiling
point up to the critical temperature.

Power

Figure I-Apparatus

fii-cuif

for Determining Vapor Pressures a t High

Temperatures

insulation. External resistance in the heating circuit manually regulated, permitted adjustment of the temperature.
A chromel-alumel thermoelement placed in a small hole drilled
in the steel wall of the bomb was read by means of a Leeds
and Northrup type K potentiometer and galvanometer.
Before connecting the bomb to the pressure measuring
apparatus, the valve F was opened and a small amount of
toluene boiled out to expel air. The valve was then closed
and connected as shorn. C was a steel U-tube about half
full of mercury. Above the left column was liquid toluene
and above the right column a hydrocarbon oil which also
filled all the tubing leading to the gage and to the mercury
column. The U-tube C was shielded from room-temperature changes by asbestos paper insulation. By opening valve
H the pressure was
read by means of the
p i s t o n g a g e , D. By
closing this valve and
opening G , the pressure
was read on the mercury column, E.
The e x p e r i m e n t s
c o n s i s t e d simply in
maintaining a c o n stant temperature in A
as indicated by the
thermocouple and read- g
ing the vapor pressure
o KandG
on the appropriate inx Barher
strument. Up to 161"
C., where the vapor
pressure is 3.85 atmospheres, measurements
were made with the
c o l u m n ; a b o v e this Figure 3-variation of LO^ of Vapor
t e m p e r a t u r e up to Temperature
Pressure with Reciprocal of Absolute
320.6' C. (the critical
temperature), where the vapor pressure is 41.6 atmospheres,
the piston gage was used. Table I contains the data. For
completeness, vapor pressures below 1 atmosphere as determined by Barker (1) down to 0" C. have been included.

J.

For substances having a normal boiling point below about

150" C. the static or direct measurement seemed most simple
and accurate. The pure substance was enclosed in a suitable
container, heated to a known temperature, and the equilibrium
pressure measured by suitable means. In this laboratory
a mercury column 28
f e e t (8.54 m e t e r s )
long served for pressures up to about 10
atmospheres; above
this pressure a deadweight p i s t o n gage
was used.
Figure 1 shows the
Table I-Vapor Pressures of Toluene a t Different Temperatures
TEMPERA- PRES- TEMPERA- PRES- TEMPERA- PRESapparatus diagramTURE
SURE
TURE
SURE
TUR3
SURE
matically. R e d i s c.
Aim.
c.
Aim.
c.
Afm.
t i l l e d t o l u e n e was
n
0.0093
186.5
6.12
257.2
17.69
0,0533
194.0
6.98
264.0
21.39
3
1
:
6
placed in the steel
0,202
203.5
8.26
279.5
24.81
62.0
0.533
214.4
9.89
280.0
25.10
89.7
bomb, A . The ca1.00
110.7
226.0
283,O
11.88
26.00
pacity of this bomb
234.5
301.5
129.5
13.25
1.68
32.40
246.0
320.0
149.5
16.00
41.48
2.80
was 50 cc.; the outside
250.0
161.0
17.06
3.85
320.6(ic) 41.60(Dc)
diameter was 2 inches
253.5
175.5
17.46
5.18
(5 cm.), the length 8
i n c h e s (20 c m . ) .
Figures 2 and 3 show the data graphically. I n Figure 2
Temp OC.
This container. when the temperature is plotted against the pressure, and in Figure
Figure 2-Variation of Vapor Pressure of assembled and con3 the reciprocal of the absolute temperature is plotted against
Toluene with Temperature
nected to the valve F. the log of the pressure.
was placed in the copper casting, B, which fitted the bomb
Literature Cited
closely. Around this casting was wound a heating coil and
O

Received October 10, 1929.

(1) Barker, Z. 9 h y s i k . Chem., 71, 235 (1910).