(Liquid plus liquid) equilibria of (sulfolane plus benzene plus n-hexane), (N-formylmorpholine plus benzene plus n-hexane), and (sulfolane plus N-formylmorpholine plus benzene plus n-hexane) at temperatures ranging from (298.15 to 318.15) K: Experimental results and correlation

The experimental (liquid + liquid) equilibrium (LLE) properties for two ternary systems containing (N-formylmorpholine + benzene + n-hexane), (sulfolane + benzene + n-hexane) and a quaternary mixed solvent system (sulfolane + N-formylmorpholine + benzene + n-hexane) were measured at temperature ranging from (298.15 to 318.15) K and at an atmospheric pressure. The experimental distribution coefficients and selectivity factors are presented to evaluate the efficiency of the solvents for extraction of benzene from n-hexane. The LLE results obtained indicate that increasing temperature decreases selectivity for all solvents. The LLE results for the systems studied were used to obtain binary interaction parameters in the UNIQUAC model by minimizing the root mean square deviations (RMSD) between the experimental and calculated results. Using the interaction parameters obtained, the phase equilibria in the systems were calculated and plotted. The calculated compositions based on the UNIQUAC model were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values. The result of the RMSD obtained by comparing the calculated and experimental two-phase compositions is 0.0163 for (N-formylmorpholine + benzene + n-hexane) system and is 0.0120 for (sulfolane + benzene + n-hexane) system. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.