Equipment using a “static-analytic” method for solubility measurements in potentially hazardous binary mixtures under cryogenic temperatures

A new apparatus designed to study, at cryogenic temperatures, thermodynamic equilibria of potentially explosive binary systems such as hydrocarbon–oxygen mixtures is described herein. This equipment has an equilibrium cell which was especially designed to minimize hazards while allowing accurate phase equilibrium measurements. Reliability of results, obtained with this equipment has been verified by working on the nitrogen-propane system, for which data are already available in literature, over a large range of compositions and at various temperatures. Four isothermal curves describing liquid phase compositions at 109.98, 113.77, 119.75 and 125.63 K have been determined. Our experimental data are represented within 2% in compositions and in pressures through the Peng–Robinson equation of state implying Mathias–Copeman alpha function and Huron–Vidal mixing rule. Comparisons to literature allow pointing out: good agreement is observed with Kremer and Knapp data (1983) while the three sets of Poon and Lu data (1974) presenting systematic positive deviation are consequently judged as suspicious.