Application of the Eötvos and Guggenheim empirical rules for predicting the density and surface tension of ionic liquids analogues

•Critical temperatures of eight common DES were calculated using two methods.•Density and surface tension were calculated using the Rackett and Guggenheim equations.•The Rackett method should be used in the low temperature range only.•The Eötvos and Guggenheim methods gave best density and surface tension predictions.

The recent continuing interest in deep eutectic solvents (DES) as ionic liquids analogues and their successful applications in different areas of separation necessities the existence of reliable physical and thermodynamic properties database. The scarcity of data on the physical properties of such solvents, increases the need for their prediction using reliable methods. In this study, first the critical temperatures of eight DES systems have been calculated based on the Eötvos empirical equation using the experimental data of the density and surface tension at various temperatures, then the density and surface tension values of these systems were predicted from the calculated critical temperatures. For the density prediction the Eötvos and Guggenheim equations were combined to introduce a simple power law equation using the estimated critical temperatures from the Eötvos and the Modified Lydersen–Joback–Reid group contribution methods. Finally, the estimated critical temperatures by these two methods were used in the Guggenheim empirical equation to calculate the surface tension of the DES systems. The prediction quality of the two physical properties under investigation were compared and proper recommendations were postulated.