Evaluating the SAFT-VR and the Sanchez–Lacombe EOS for Modeling the Solubility of Blowing Agents in Polyols

Abstract

The statistical associating fluid theory with variable range (SAFT-VR) is a robust equation of state (EOS) with six parameters that describe the thermodynamics of complex systems. Earlier works with this EOS have already predicted the phase co-existence properties of various refrigerants and higher order alkane series compounds, along with their mixtures. In this work, the SAFT-VR EOS has been used to correlate the P–V–T properties of three polyols, namely Pluracol 355, Pluracol 975, and Terol 352. The solubility of nine, zero ozone-depleting blowing agents in these three polyols has been correlated wherever the experimental data are available, and the solubility curves have been produced. The solubility results obtain from SAFT-VR EOS have been compared to a lattice theory based EOS known as Sanchez–Lacombe (SL). In addition, the solubility results of some blowing agents are predicted using the SAFT-VR EOS and the SL EOS, in the above-mentioned polyols wherever there is no experimental data. In general, the SL EOS predicts the solubility of the blowing agents in the polyols more accurately than the SAFT-VR EOS.