A novel thermogravimetric method for estimating the saturated vapor pressure of low-volatility compounds

Thermogravimetric analysis is used to measure accelerated vaporization rate s at elevated temperatures and reduced pressures for several compounds. Mul tiple linear regression is used to generate empirical coefficients of an eq uation that relates these parameters. The vaporization rates of the compoun ds at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP) are estimated by ext rapolation to 10(5) Pa (1 atm) and 298 K. The estimated vaporization rates are then correlated with literature values of saturated vapor pressure (p(s at)). The results of twenty four compounds with vapor pressures that span 1 0 orders of magnitude indicate that p(sat)(25 degrees C) is directly propor tional to the rate of vaporization at SATP. The average error of an estimat e of p(sat)(25 degrees C) based on this relationship is less than a factor of 2.1.