Electrolyte Thermodynamics: Current Status and Future Challenges
Electrolyte solutions are extremely important in numerous applications in both the petroleum and chemical/biochemical industries. Unfortunately, despite more than 100 years of active research, electrolyte thermodynamics has not been developed as actively and extensively as the thermodynamics of non-electrolyte solutions. This may be partially due to the much more enhanced complexity of electrolyte solutions (very long-range forces) and partially also to numerous misunderstandings in the whole framework. Unfortunately, there are many unsolved issues, especially if we are interested about equation of state electrolyte models which can cover a wide range of temperature, pressure and concentration conditions.
This presentation will review some of the highlights of electrolyte thermodynamics with emphasis on applications. First, the well-established activity coefficient models will be presented very briefly but most of the presentation will be about equations of state for electrolytes. Capabilities & limitations, current status and future challenges, what is easy and what is not, where we are and where we should go will all consititute important parts of this presentation.
The presentation was given, upon invitation, to BP international seminar series during October 2016