IUPAC-NIST Solubilities Database (2024)

Solubility System: m-Xylene with Water

Components:
(1) Water; H2O; [7732-18-5]NIST Chemistry WebBook for detail
(2) m-Xylene; C8H10; [108-38-3]NIST Chemistry WebBook for detail

Evaluator:
G.T. Hefter, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, W.A., Australia. January 1986. Critical Evaluation:
Quantitative solubility data for the m-xylene (1) – water (2) system have been reported in the publications listed in Table 1.

The original data in all these publications are compiled in the Data Sheets immediately following this Critical Evaluation. For convenience, further discussion of this system will be divided into three parts.

1. SOLUBILITY OF M-XYLENE (1) IN WATER (2)

All the available data for the solubility of m-xylene in water at low temperatures (T ≤ 343K) are summarized in Table 2 with the exception of the datum of Krzyzanowska and Szeliga (ref 11) which does not appear to be independent of that of Price (ref 10) and has therefore been excluded from consideration.

The data are in general in reasonable agreement although with a few exceptions the agreement is insufficient for the average values to be Recommended. Selected data from Table 2 are plotted in Figure 1.

Table 3 summarizes thermodynamic functions calculated by application of the van’t Hoff equation to the solubility data obtained over various temperature ranges. At low temperatures (T < 343K) the values of ΔH_s1n and ΔC_p,s1n from the data of Bohon and Claussen (ref 2) and Sanemasa et al. (ref 12) are in good agreement (Table 3) and are close to calorimetric values reported for similar systems (e.g. benzene in water, ref 13). However, the ΔH _s1n derived from the data of Chernoglazova and Simulin (ref 9) is much too positive.

2. SOLUBILITY of M-XYLENE (1) IN WATER (2) AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

Solubility data for m-xylene in water at elevated temperatures (ca. 340-550K) and system pressure in sealed tubes have been reported by Pryor and Jentoft (ref 3) and Guseva and Parnov (ref 14). The results are plotted in Figure 2 and are clearly in poor agreement. In the absence of confirmatory studies it is difficult to know which values are more reasonable. However, it may be noted that the thermodynamic functions derived from the data of Pryor and Jentoft are more reasonable than those obtained from Guseva and Parnov’s work (Table 3). The interested user is referred to the relevant Data Sheets for the experimental values.

3. SOLUBILITY OF WATER (2) IN M-XYLENE (1)

All the reported data for the solubility of water in m-xylene are collected in Table 4. The data from independent studies over a range of temperatures are in excellent agreement, enabling a number of values to be Recommended (σ_n~5% relative).

Selected data from Table 4 are also plotted in Figure 3, which emphasizes the general agreement.

Application of the van’t Hoff equation to the data of Englin et al. (ref 6) and Cherbigkaziva and Sunykub (ref 9) gives values for ΔH_s1n of 21.3 and 24.9 kJ mo1^-1 and for ΔC_p,s1n of –152 and 208 J K ^-1 mo1^-1 respectively. Comparison with related systems (e.g. water in benzene) suggests the data of Chernoglazova and Simulin (ref 9) may be more reliable.