PHASE-EQUILIBRIA IN CHEMICAL REACTIVE FLUID MIXTURES

Phase equilibrium is a result of intermolecular forces. When molecules approach each other, intermolecular forces can result in the formatio n of short living adducts. With increasing strength the life time of t hose adducts increases, finally resulting in new, stable molecules. Th erefore the effect of strong intermolecular forces on the thermodynami c properties can also be described by chemical reactions. The fundamen tal relations governing phase equilibria in chemical reactive mixtures are shortly reviewed and some examples for industrially important sys tems where chemical reactions have an essential influence on phase equ ilibria are discussed.