Miscibility performance of trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene and its binary blends with lubricating oil

In order to investigate the performance of R1234ze(E) and its blends with lubricating oil in refrigeration system, the miscibility should be well understood firstly. The critical miscibility temperature (TCMT) data of different mass fraction of R1234ze(E) and its blends (R600a, R32) with lubricating oils (a 3GS naphthenic mineral oil and polyol ester (POE) oil) were measured and analyzed at temperature ranging from 220.15 to 310.15 K in this paper. The miscibility data were correlated with a Modified Element Contribution Evaluation Method and an evaluation equation, which was proposed to predict the miscibility of the binary blends. It was concluded that R600a promoted the miscibility of R1234ze(E)/R600a with mineral oil while R1234ze(E) blocked it. For the mixed solution of R1234ze(E)/R32 with POE oil, the more R32 had the better miscibility shown, while the more R1234ze(E) was the worse miscibility performed.