Binodal curve of two liquid phases and solid-liquid equilibrium for water + fatty acid + ethanol systems and water + fatty acid + acetone systems

To determine the liquid-liquid-solid three-phase equilibrium (LLSE), binodal data of the liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) and the solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) have been measured for the ternary water + acetone or ethanol + lauric acid, myristic acid or palmitic acid systems. The binodal region for two liquid phases increases successively in the following order of the third component: lauric acid < myristic acid < palmitic acid. The binodal regions of the ternary systems with acetone as the second component are larger than those for ethanol. These binodal curves are not highly sensitive to temperature. The isothermal solubility of these fatty acids is considerably reduced when the water content in the aqueous phase increases. The solubility of fatty acids is successively reduced in the following order: lauric acid > myristic acid > palmitic acid. The solubility of fatty acids in aqueous solutions containing acetone is smaller than in those containing ethanol. Predictions of both the binodal curve for LLE and the SLE curve by the UNIFAC method and the NRTL equation do not represent the experimental data. However, data of the binodal curve and solubility are well correlated by the NRTL equation, and also the LLSE relationship could be represented.