Application of New Electrolyte Model to Phase Transfer Catalyst (PTC) Systems

Abstract Phase transfer catalyst (PTC) is used to transfer the desirable active form of an anion from the aqueous phase to organic phase where the reaction occurs. One of major challenges for process design of the PTC system is to establish a reliable thermodynamic model capable of describing phase behaviours of all components including water, organic solvents, inorganic salts, and the PTC. In this work, a new electrolyte model based on the KT-UNIFAC group contribution approach has been developed by adding the Debye-Hückel theory and a second virial coefficient-type term into the KT-UNIFAC model. The temperature-dependent parameters of the new model are introduced to improve the description of phase equilibria in temperature ranges between 273.15 and 373.15 K. The proposed model has been successfully applied to the predictions of phase behaviours of alkali halide aqueous solutions that are usually found in PTC systems, thereby, extending the application range of the PTC-system model. The solubility of PTC in organic solvents, which is a key factor for strategy of PTC and solvent selection, has been calculated using the e-NRTL-SAC model.