Gibbs Free Energy and Phase Separation: Interactive Simulations
These simulations will run on your browser. Try to predict the behavior when a parameter changes before using a slider to change that parameter. Screencasts below explain how to use these simulations.
Partially Miscible Liquids
Try to answer these questions before determining the answer with the simulation. We suggest that you write down the reasons for your answers.
- As the temperature increases for a binary liquid mixture that exhibits phase separation, do you expect the compositions of the two phases to be closer together or further apart? Why?
- Suppose a binary liquid mixture separates into two phases ( \(x_1^\alpha\) = 0.10, \(x_1^\beta\) = 0.79). If the liquid contains 6 moles of component 1 and 4 moles of component 2, is more liquid in the α phase or β phase? Why?
Effect of Temperature on Partial Miscibility
Try to answer these questions before determining the answer with the simulation. We suggest that you write down the reasons for your answers.
- As the temperature increases, would you expect the Gibbs free energy change of a binary mixture be more or less negative? Why?
- For the figure below, how will the compositions of the two phases change as the overall mole fraction increases from 0.3 to 0.6? Explain why.