Thermodynamic mixing properties of liquids in the system Na2O-SiO2

Enthalpies of fusion have been measured by differential scanning calorimetry for a Na2O-SiO2 system at 50, 66.6, and 74.4 mol% SiO2. Enthalpies of mixing of liquids obtained from different calorimetry techniques are critically evaluated. The data on calorimetric enthalpy, activity of Na2O, cristobalite liquidus, and immiscibility gap are used to determine the enthalpy and entropy of mixing of sodium–silicate liquids are determined as a function of composition by the least squares method. The derived mixing properties are based only on the experimental data and are independent of any assumption about the structure and chemical species in liquids. The enthalpy of mixing has a minimum value of −120 kJ/mol at 35–40 mol% SiO2 and is convex upward around 80–90 mol% SiO2. The entropy of mixing have a maximum value of + 6 J/K-mol at 75 mol% SiO2, and it decreases with the SiO2 content to −5 J/K-mol at 40 mol% SiO2. This decrease in entropy can be accounted for by ideal mixing of Q4, Q3, and Q0 + 1 + 2 (= Q0 + Q1 + Q2) species in the liquids and is responsible for the negative temperature dependence of the partial molar Gibbs energy of mixing of Na2O, observed in activity measurements. Comparison of the present results with previous values suggests that a quasi-chemical model and the Adam–Gibbs model overestimate the configurational entropy of mixing of liquids.