EXPERIMENT 5: EUTECTIC SYSTEM

OBJECTIVE: To determine the eutectic temperature and the composition

of the eutectic mixture for the naphthalene and p-nitrotoluene system
INTRODUCTION
A eutectic system is a mixture of chemical compounds or elements that
has a single chemical composition that solidifies at a lower temperature
than any other composition. This composition is known as the eutectic
composition and the temperature is known as the eutectic temperature.
On a phase diagram the intersection of the eutectic temperature and the
eutectic composition gives the eutectic point. Not all binary alloys have a
eutectic point; for example, in the silver-gold system the melt temperature
(liquid) and freeze temperature (solid) both increase monotonically as the
mix changes from pure silver to pure gold.
While, eutectic reaction is a type of reaction is an invariant reaction,
because it is in thermal equilibrium; another way to define this is the
Gibbs free energy equals zero. Tangibly, this means the liquid and two
solid solutions all coexist at the same time and are in chemical
equilibrium. There is also a thermal arrest for the duration of the reaction.
APPARATUS
:
1. Test tubes (3)
2. Weighing boat (2)
3. Thermometer
4. Water bath
5. Conical flask
CHEMICALS
:
1. Naphthalene
2. p- nitrotoluene

PROCEDURE
1. 3 g of naphthalene in a test tube was weighed and melted by
immersing the tube in a hot water bath.
2. The tube containing the solid that has been melted was then
transferred immediately into a conical flask.
3. The melt in the test tube was gently stirred with a thermometer and
the temperature of the melts until it completely solidifies
(temperature remain constant) was recorded for every one minute
interval. The temperature that remains constant for a few minutes
was recorded as the freezing point of pure naphthalene.
4. 1 g of p-nitrotoluene was added together with 3 g of naphthalene in
a test tube. The test tube was immersed in the hot water bath to
melt the mixture in the tube.
5. The tube was then transferred to a conical flask and the mixture was
gently stirred with a thermometer. The temperature of the mixture
at every one minutes interval until it completely solidifies was
recorded. (The temperature remain constant)
6. The mixtures of different composition of naphthalene and pnitrotoluene were prepared accordance to the composition given in
Table 5.1. The test tube was immersed in a hot water bath to melt
the mixture and the procedure (5) was repeated for all the mixture
that has been prepared.

Naphthale
ne (g)
pnitrotoluen
e (g)

Table 5.1
3
3
2

RESULTS
1. For each of the compositions, tabulate the temperature against time
and plot the cooling curve. Plot all the cooling curves on two graph
paper only.
(on graph paper)
2. Calculate the percentage of p-nitrotoluene in all the compositions
given in table 5.1 and complete table 6.2.
Table 5.2
Naphthalene (g)

p-nitrotoluene (g)

% p-nitrotoluene

25

40

50

100

75

60

Freezing Temperature
(0C)

80

35

35

34

51

32

31

3. Plot the phase diagram for naphthalene / p-nitrotoluene system

(freezing temperature against percentage of p-nitrotoluene in the
mixture). Label your diagram completely. State the eutectic
temperature and the eutectic composition for this system.
(On graph paper)
4. In your phase diagram, denote the cooling process of the mixture in
step (5) and indicate the temperature at which one of the
components in the liquid mixture begins to freeze out. State the
component which freezes out.
(On graph paper)

Data Sheet for Experiment 5

Mass of
Naphthalene (g)
Mass of pnitrotoluene (g)
% p-

3.02
9
0

3.02
9
1.00

3.02
9
1.03

3.029

1.002

1.010

1.04

3.019

3.019

3.019

25

40

50

100

75

60

nitrotoluene
Freezing
Temperature
(0C)

80

35

35

34

51

32

31

DISCUSSION
Discuss briefly the effect of adding p-nitrotoluene on the freezing point of
naphthalene (melting points: naphthalene 79-82 0c, p-nitrotoluene 51-52
0
c)
The effect of adding p-nitrotoluene to the naphthalene had caused the
freezing point of naphthalene to be decreased. This is because pnitrotoluene (solutes) increases the boiling point and decreases the
freezing point. Solutes can change the boiling point of the solvent. When
the solute is added in a solvent, the boiling point of the solution increases.
One of the examples is if salt is added to the water then the boiling point
of water will increase to 100 degree Celsius. This happens because the
boiling point is the temperature where the vapour pressure of the solvent
becomes equal to the external atmospheric pressure. When solute is
added in the solvent then solvent molecules take more time and
temperature to make vapour pressure and cause the boiling point of the
solvent increases.
On the other hand, adding a solute to a solution decreases the freezing
point, because it will interfere with the frozen solution's crystal structure.
That means the temperature will have to be colder to overcome it and
freeze the mixture anyway. It also known as freezing point depression.
Freezing point depression is the phenomena that describes why adding a
solute to a solvent results in the lowering of the freezing point of the
solvent. When a substance starts to freeze, the molecules slow down due
to the decreases in temperature, and the intermolecular forces start to
take over. The molecules will then arrange themselves in a pattern, and
thus turn into a solid.
From the experiment, we can observe from phase diagram (freezing
temperature against percentage of p-nitrotoluene) where the freezing
point decreases (from 80 0C to 35 0C) as the percentage of p-nitrotoluene
added to the naphthalene increases. This phenomenon is called as
freezing point depression which depends on the concentration of solute
particles that associated with a colligative property. Colligative properties
are those properties of solutions that dependent on the number of

dissolved particles in solution but not the identities of the solutes.

QUESTIONS
1. Define the following terms:
a) Component
A distinct chemical species in a mixture. The number of components
is the least number of different substances required to describe the
composition of all phase in the system.
b) Phase
A homogenous part of a heterogeneous system that is separated
from another part by distinguishable boundary.
c) Triple point
The temperature and pressure at which the vapour, liquid and solid
phases of a substance are in equilibrium
d) Critical temperature
The temperature at which a substance change phase and a point on
pressure temperature curve which liquid and vapour are
distinguishable and merge to form single phase.
2. Determine the number of components and phases in
a) A salts solution
Number of components: salt, water (2)
Phase: liquid (1)
b) An aqueous solution of potassium chloride and sodium nitrite
Number of components: water, potassium chloride, sodium
nitrate (3)
Phase: liquid (1)
c) An aqueous solution of potassium nitrate

Number of components: water, potassium nitrate (2)

Phase: liquid (1)
d) A saturated solution of copper sulphate stored in a closed bottle
Number of components: copper sulphate (1)
Phase: liquid (1)
e) A mixture of ethanol and distilled water
Number of components: ethanol, water (2)
Phase: liquid (1)
CONCLUSION
From the experiment, the eutectic temperature (49 oC) and the
composition of the eutectic mixture for the naphthalene and pnitrotoluene system was determined.

REFERENCE
(2014), Freezing Point Depression. Boundless Chemistry. Boundless, 16
Nov. 2014. Retrieved
08
Dec.
2014
from
https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundlesschemistry- textbook/solutions-12/colligative-properties-of-nonelectrolytesolutions- 95/freezing-point-depression-407-4701/
H.D. Crockford and N.L. Simmons, (2010), Binary System of m-nitrotoluene
and pnitrotoluene with naphthalene, p-toluidene and O
nitrophenol, Retrieved December 11, 2014 from http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/jncas&CISOPTR=1581
Michael G., N. Manaloto, R. Reyes, (2011), Solid-Liquid Phase Diagram of
NaphthaleneDiphenylamine Two-Component System, Retrieved
December 12, 2014 from
https://www.scribd.com/doc/62776289/SolidLiquid-Phase-Diagram
M.T. Abas, (2011), Physical Chemistry: Phase Equilibrium, New Edition,
UiTM Publications