The limiting conductivity of the borate ion and its ion-pair formation constants with sodium and potassium under hydrothermal conditions.

Frequency-dependent molar electrical conductivities for aqueous solutions of potassium borate, and sodium borate have been measured from ambient to near-critical temperatures and pressures to an accuracy of ±3 percent, using a unique high-precision flow-through AC conductance instrument. The concentration dependence of these conductivities was analyzed with the Turq-Blum-Bernard-Kunz ("TBBK") theoretical model to yield (i) limiting conductivities of the borate ion, λ(0)[B(OH)4(-)], and (ii) ion-pair formation constants, KA, for the species NaB(OH) and KB(OH) from T = 298 K to T = 623 K at a constant pressure p ∼ 20 MPa. The ion-pair formation constants for both borate salts were found to be consistent with previous literature studies at temperatures below 473 K. No significant difference in KA was observed between the species NaB(OH) and KB(OH). As temperature was increased from 473 up to 623 K, the degree of association increased significantly, and was found to be considerably higher than for any other 1-1 electrolyte previously studied. For instance, at 623 K, the association constant log KA[NaB(OH)] = 2.75 ± 0.21 was an order of magnitude higher than log KA[NaCl(0)] = 1.53 ± 0.03, and approximately equal to that of a 2 : 1 electrolyte, log KA[SrCF3SO3(+)] = 2.58 ± 0.06. Deviations in the limiting conductivities from Stokes Law show that the borate ion's unusual "structure making" effect, observed by other workers at sub-ambient conditions, persists up to temperatures above 500 K. The temperature dependence of the Walden product ratio is very different from that observed for other monovalent anions for which experimental data are available over this wide range of temperatures.

Ion-pair formation in aqueous strontium chloride and strontium hydroxide solutions under hydrothermal conditions by AC conductivity measurements.

Frequency-dependent electrical conductivities of solutions of aqueous strontium hydroxide and strontium chloride have been measured from T = 295 K to T = 625 K at p = 20 MPa, over a very wide range of ionic strength (3 × 10(-5) to 0.2 mol kg(-1)), using a high-precision flow AC conductivity instrument. Experimental values for the concentration-dependent equivalent conductivity, Λ, of the two electrolytes were fitted with the Turq-Blum-Bernard-Kunz ("TBBK") ionic conductivity model, to determine ionic association constants, K(A,m). The TBBK fits yielded statistically significant formation constants for the species SrOH(+) and SrCl(+) at all temperatures, and for Sr(OH)2(0) and SrCl2(0) at temperatures above 446 K. The first and second stepwise association constants for the ion pairs followed the order K(A1)(SrOH(+)) > K(A1)(SrCl(+)) > K(A2)[Sr(OH)2(0)] > K(A2)[SrCl2(0)], consistent with long-range solvent polarization effects associated with the lower static dielectric constant and high compressibility of water at elevated temperatures. The stepwise association constants to form SrCl(+) agree with previously reported values for CaCl(+) to within the combined experimental error at high temperatures and, at temperatures below ∼375 K, the values of log10 KA1 for strontium are lower than those for calcium by up to ∼0.3-0.4 units. The association constants for the species SrOH(+) and Sr(OH)2(0) are the first accurate values to be reported for hydroxide ion pairs with any divalent cation under these conditions.

Deuterium isotope effects on the ionization constant of acetic acid in H2O and D2O by AC conductance from 368 to 548 K at 20 MPa.

Values of the ionization constant of acetic acid in H(2)O and D(2)O (K(HAc) and K(DAc)) and the deuterium isotope effect, ΔpK = pK(DAc) - pK(HAc), have been determined from T = 368 K to T = 548 K at p = 20 MPa, using a flow-through ac conductance cell built at the University of Delaware. Measurements were made on dilute (ionic strength ∼ 10(-4) mol·kg(-1)) solutions of acetic acid, sodium acetate, hydrochloric acid, and sodium chloride in H(2)O and D(2)O, injected in sequence at each temperature and pressure, so that systematic errors in the measured conductance of each solution would cancel. Experimental values for the molar conductivity, Λ, of the strong electrolytes were used to calculate the molar conductivity at infinite dilution, Λ°, using the Fuoss-Hsia-Fernández-Prini (FHFP) equation. These were used to calculate the molar conductivity at infinite dilution for acetic acid which was in turn used to calculate the degree of dissociation and finally the ionization constants of acetic acid. This same procedure was done for the pertinent deuterated solutes in D(2)O. Measured values of log K(HAc), log K(DAc), and ΔpK were obtained to a precision of ±0.008. The present results are in agreement with the only other accurate study at high temperatures and pressures (Mesmer, R. E.; Herting, D. L. J. Solution Chem.1978, 7, 901-913). The deuterium isotope effects, ΔpK, become independent of temperature above ∼420 K, at a value approximately 0.1 unit lower than that at 298 K. These values are ΔpK = 0.43 ± 0.01 and ΔpK = 0.51 ± 0.01, respectively. The temperature dependence of the Walden product ratio, (λ°Î·)(D(2)O)/(λ°Î·)(H(2)O), indicates a change in the relative hydration behavior of ions, whereby the effective Stokes radii of the sodium, chloride, and acetate ions in D(2)O relative to H(2)O reverse above ∼423 K. The results also suggest that the greater efficiency of the well-established proton-hopping transport mechanisms for OH(-) and H(3)O(+) at 298 K, relative to OD(-) and D(3)O(+), is significantly reduced as the temperature increases toward 548 K.