SOLUBILITY OF CH4 IN THE MIXED-SOLVENT T-BUTYL ALCOHOL AND WATER

The solubility of CH4 in water + t-butyl alcohol (TEA) mixtures has be en measured at 283.15, 288.15, 293.15 and 298.15 K respectively and at pressures of up to 5 MPa. The solubility varies slowly with the compo sition of the solvent in the water-rich region and maxima and minima a re observed in solubility versus solvent concentration curves at the l ower temperatures. Anomalous behaviour of the solubility observed can be explained by the existence of a clathrate-like structure, which has been suggested by other authors. The standard thermodynamic functions are also closely related to the clathrate sturcture. The shapes of th e solubility isotherms at different pressures are nearly the same, whi ch shows that the dissolved gas and pressure do not significantly affe ct the structure of the solvent mixtures.