Three-parameter correlation for the surface tension of saturated liquids

Abstract

In this paper, we study the multiple-parameter correlations for the surface tension of saturated liquids. The proposed three-parameter correlation requires only the critical temperature as inputs and is tested by using the NIST REFPROP data for 72 saturated liquids including refrigerants, alkanes and some other simple liquids such as argon, carbon dioxide, etc. It is found that this correlation well stands in the whole temperature range from the triple point to the critical point with high accuracy for 71 liquids with average absolute deviations (AADs) less than 5% and for 66 liquids with AADs less than 1%. These results are clearly better than the ones of other available correlations. This correlation can be directly used to estimate the value of the surface tension of the corresponding liquids at any temperature point from the triple point to the critical point. The accuracy of the predictions would clearly have economic benefits since it would allow improvement of process operating conditions, the development of new processes, the reduction of oversizing in the design of new equipment and even reduction of energy requirements.