Contents

Objective
1
Introduction
1
Theoretical
1
Phase Diagram of pure substances
2
The Critical Point
2
The Triple Point
2
Moving from Liquid to Vapour
3
Experimental Procedure
4
Description of Apparatus
5
Description of Apparatus
6
Description of Apparatus
7
Results
8
Result Plots
9
Results Plots
10
Discussion
11
Conclusion
11
Recommendation
12

Vapour Pressure of Petroleum Fractions Experiment

Objective:
Objective of this experiment is to determine the vapour pressure of gasoline and
white spirit.
Introduction
Vapour pressure is the pressure of an evaporated liquid when it is in contact with
its liquid phase; this is called the equilibrium vapour pressure which indicates the
liquids evaporation rate. The more volatile the sample, in this cases the gasoline
and white spirit, the higher the vapour pressure and the more easily it will
evaporate.
The benefit of using vapour pressure rather than distillation data is that vapour
pressure gives just one single value which shows the combined effect of the
individual vapour pressure of the different petroleum fractions in accordance with
their mole ratios. It is therefore possible for two completely different products to
have the same vapour pressure at the same temperature provided the
cumulative pressures applied by the fractions are the same.
Temperature can affect the vapour pressure. According to Le Chateliers principle
a system interrupted by a rise in temperature will react to relieve the stress. If
the temperature is increased enough to raise the vapour pressure to atmospheric
pressure then the liquid will boil. If the atmospheric pressure is zero as in a
vacuum system then the liquid will boil much more. This is the basis for obtaining
pure samples of liquid with high boiling points in a vacuum distillation process.
The existence of dissolved substances in a liquid or solid also affects vapour
pressure.
We used a Setavap 2 vapour pressure tester which determines the vapour
pressure of gasoline and white spirit. The equipment is attached to a vacuum
pump which ensures the solvent is tested under a complete vacuum.

Theoretical
Le Chateliers principle states that if a dynamic balance is disturbed by the
changing of conditions such as temperature and atmospheric pressure, the
position of the equilibrium moves to counteract the change. I accept as true that
le Chateliers principle is correct as my results also show that if there is a
temperature or atmospheric pressure change it affects the equilibrium and it
moves.
Vapour pressure is an extremely significant thermodynamic property of volatile
liquids for transporting and storage. Vapour pressure plays an essential role in
the estimate of petrol performance. The vapour pressure is the pressure applied
by a pure component at the equilibrium at any temperature when both liquid and

vapour phases exist, therefore extending from a minimum at the triple point
temperature to a maximum at the critical temperature, the critical pressure.

Phase diagram of pure substances

A phase can be referred to in three stages: a solid, liquid or gas. Phases can be
recognised and distinguished from each other because there is an evident
boundary between them. As shown in the figure underneath, a phase diagram
shows precisely what phases are present at any given temperature and pressure.

Figure 1: Phase diagram for a typical pure substance.

The critical point
This is the point labelled C in the phase diagram above. This point is also called
the critical state, this specifies the conditions; temperature, pressure and
sometimes composition at which a phase boundary ceases to exist. The many
types of critical points include vapour-liquid critical points and liquid-liquid critical
points. The temperature and pressure conforming to this are known as
the critical temperature and critical pressure.
The triple point
The Point labelled T on the phase diagram is called the triple point. The triple
point of a substance is the temperature and pressure at which three phases of
that substance correspond in thermodynamic equilibrium. It represents
conditions of; solid-liquid equilibrium, liquid-vapour equilibrium and solid-vapour
equilibrium.

Moving from liquid to vapour

Liquid can be moved to vapour by changing the increasing temperature or
decreasing the pressure. As indicated in figure 2 below, the liquid will change to
vapour when it crosses the borderline between the two zones.

Figure 2: phase diagram showing movement from liquid to vapour

I have plotted three line graphs, the first of which shows the vapour pressure
Verse the time for gasoline sample. The second of the graphs represents the
vapour pressure Vs. The time for the white spirit sample and the last line graph
shows the vapour pressure Verse the time for both the gasoline and white spirit
samples comparing both sets of results.
I will then analyse and discuss my results and highlight any sources of error in
my experiments. Also I will conclude my results and state any recommendations
that I may have.
Experimental Procedure

The waste container was placed under the drain.

The vacuum pump and the Setavap tester were powered on.
At the instruction of the display unit, the septum was removed by
unscrewing the septum
holder.
The button was tuned and the top line of the tester displayed "Draining
10", which allowed the system to drain for IO sec.
After 10seconds, the message displayed "purging 120" and counted down
to zero.
After 120 seconds, an audible warning (beep) was heard.
The "insert new septum" display came up.
A new septum was fi tted into the septum holder and silicon grease
was smeared on the exposed surface
The septum holder was fi rmly screwed into the Setavap Tester to
give a vacuum tight" seal.
The start button was taped and the system was automatically
evacuated for300 minutes.
At the end of the evacuation process an audible warning (beep)
was heard.
On the instruction of the Setavap tester the sample was prepared
by siphoning3.5ml of sample into a properly cleaned syringe.
NOTE: The needle is a side-exit type. Take care to avoid spill to
yourself or colleagues.
The sample was drained to 3.0ml to expel air.
The button on the Setavap was tuned and it displayed" inject
sample".
The sample was injected into the septum holder until the syringe
was in contact with the bottom of the septum holder.
The button was tuned to put the test in progress.
The Setavap Tester originally took reading at one minute interval
The readings were recorded.
When three consecutive readings were within 0.1Kpa the test was
automatically terminated.
A warning beep sound was heard and the test result displayed

The P-tot, DVPE, EP A were read from the display unit by tuning the
knob.
The same procedure was followed for the white spirit and results
were recorded

DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
Gasoline
Gasoline is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting of straight chain
hydrocarbons with 5-12 carbon atom mixed with aromatic hydrocarbon like
toluene and benzene to increase its octane rating.

Figure 3: A beaker of gasoline

White Spirit
White spirit also known as Stoddard solvent, is a paraffin-derived clear,
transparent organic solvent used for cleaning degreasing. It is a mixture of
saturated aliphatic and alicyclic C7 to C12 hydrocarbons with a maximum
content of 25% of C7 to C12 alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons.

Figure 4: A 750ml plastic bottle of white spirit

Vacuum pump
A vacuum pump as shown in figure 5 is a device that removes gas molecules
from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. This is attached
to the vapour pressure tester. This pump drains out all the liquid in the tester and
evacuates the air so that a vacuum exist in the vacuum tester.

Figure 5: A vacuum pump

Setavap Tester
The Setavap Tester an ultra-modern low cost instrument for the automatic
measurement of vapour pressure in gasoline, solvents and other similar
products. As shown in figure 6, it consist of a chamber centrally located (cylinder
of 15ml) and an electrical register which displays the pressure.

Figure 6: A Setavap tester

Septum Holder
This is a screw at the top of the vapour pressure tester which allows access to
the tester cylinder used to hold the septum. This is shown in figure 7 below.

Figure 7: A septum holder

Septum
This is a small round rubber attached to the top of the screw knob which
assistances to guarantee complete vacuum.

Figure 8: Septum
Silicone grease
This is a liniment used to grease or lubricate the septum. This is shown in figure
9 below.

Figure 9: 500g tub of silicone grease

Hamilton micro litre syringe

This is a syringe used to draw off and measure the solvent.

Figure 10: A Hamilton micro litre syringe

Results
The Gasoline and White spirit sample was tested at the following conditions;

Test Conditions: Temperature of vacuum = 37.8C

Pressure of vacuum = 0.2 Kpa
The following results were obtained from the vapour pressure experiment for
Gasoline and white spirit.
Vapour pressure measurement for Gasoline
Time(sec
onds)

Pressure
(kpa)

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70

68.7
68.8
69
69.2
69.3
69.4
69.4
69.5
69.6
69.6
69.7
69.7
69.7
69.8

Time(
secon
ds)
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
140

Press
ure(k
pa)
69.8
69.8
69.8
69.9
69.9
69.9
69.9
69.9
69.9
70
70
70
70
70

Time(
secon
ds)
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
190
195
200
205
210

Press
ure(k
pa)
70
70
70
70.1
70.1
70
70.1
70.1
70.1
70.1
70.1
70.1
70.1
70.1

DVPE and EPA for Gasoline

Vapour pressure (kpa)

Tes
t

Ptot(kpa)
70.1

DVPE(kpa)
63.9

EPA(kpa)
64.6

Plot of the Vapour pressure Vs. Time for the Gasoline sample

Gasoline
70.5
70
69.5
Pressure

Gasoline

69
68.5
68

Time(seconds)

Test conditions for the White spirit sample

Temperature of vacuum = 37.8C
Pressure of vacuum = 0.3 kpa
Vapour pressure measurement for White Spirit
Time(secon
ds)
5

Pressure(k
pa)

Time(secon
ds)

Pressure(k
pa)

4.9

60

4.9

10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55

4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9

65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110

4.9
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

DVPE and EPA for White Spirit

Vapour Pressure (kpa)
Tes
t

P-tot
5.0

DVPE
1.0

EPA
2.4

Plot of the Vapour pressure Vs. Time for the White Spirit sample

White spirit

White spirit

Pressure

Time(seconds)

Plot of the Vapour pressure Vs. Time for the Gasoline and White spirit
samples
80
70
60
50
Pressure

40
30

Gasoline

20

White spirit

10
0

Time(seconds)

Discussion

Error due to parallax in measuring the quantity of the solvent.

Error due to inadequate smearing silicone grease over the septum,

thereby compromising the existence of complete vacuum.

CONCLUSION
Gasoline has a vapour pressure of 70.1kpa and white spirit is 5.kpa the
vapour pressure for gasoline is higher than that of white spirit an indication that
white spirit is less volatile than gasoline. White spirit and gasoline have
diff erent vapour pressures because they are diff erent solvents and have
diff erent cumulative pressure.
RECOMMENDATION
Appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn before
performing this experiment. All instructions concerning the tester must
be followed zero obtain precise results the Setavap tester should be
connected to its data logger or printer.